Upon its release in 2018, Strangeways Here We Come was obliterated by critics, but the film has become a surprise hit since landing on Netflix.
The film stars the likes of Michelle Keegan, Lauren Socha, and Nina Wadia. It centres around the residents of a council estate who come together to take down a loan shark. However, Strangeways Here We Come was slammed for playing up to stereotypes and it’s messiness.
Salford local Chris Green directed and wrote the production, and he’s now defended the film to the Manchester Evening News following its newfound success on Netflix. Strangeways Here We Come was given zero stars by The Times and one star by The Guardian, which Green felt was unfair.
“I think [the critics] had this idea that I was this middle-class filmmaker coming into the area to exploit the working class”, he told the publication. “This was made by someone who lived there. Growing up on Spike Island we saw a lot of violence. I can honestly say that 90 per cent of what you see in that film is true – its stuff I’ve seen, stuff I’ve experienced or know about. Apart from the murder, obviously,” Green added.
Green claimed: “When [the film] came out, it was like putting Salford on the map. At the end of the day, all those unsavoury characters who are a bit brutal, are part of a community. When the chips are down, like the Salford communities I remember, they all come together to help each other out.”
Although, Green did admit he made some mistakes with the film: “When I came up with the idea, it was from a postman’s point of view, but then it just expanded and went a bit crazy. There were far too many characters, this massive ensemble piece which was far too much to take on as a first film. But you live and learn.”
