The Young Offenders

I expected some comedy, but this was hilarious fun. There is pace and action not dissimilar from Guy Ritchie movies. It reminded me of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels on a much lighter tone and probably twice as funny.

I absolutely loved the stylised but down to earth storytelling, and the narrative. I hope the director/writer come up with more stylised comedy like this. It is not filled with gratuitous violence. It is definitely recommended viewing.

I have given it an enthusiastic 9 because I have not laughed so much in a while. It would have still been a 7 if I laughed 50% less!!

Being from Cork myself, this film ticks all the boxes. There was a lot of talk about it, so going into see it I was feeling it might fall short, as normally films this hyped turn out shite. From the moment this film starts it is just so funny right till the end.

I'm not sure will many people outside of Ireland get the humor, but this is one of the funniest films I've seen in a very long time, as I can relate the two lads to so many people I grew up with and PJ Gallagher was brilliant as the crippled dealer. Some brilliant characters in it and every joke was right on the money. I really do hope we get a sequel!

Why can't there be more films like this? The Young Offenders has everything I would look for in a breakout piece: a unique storyline, a brilliant cast of unknown actors, a beautiful setting and effortlessly hilarious writing. There are definite elements of Guy Richie and Shane Meadows in this production and anyone who is tired of formulaic Hollywood bilge should appreciate it's originality.

Alex Murphy and Chris Walley lead the way with excellent debut performances. They can be a tad wooden at times, but this is overridden by their natural comic timing and ability to produce genuinely heart-warming moments. Hilary Rose bounces off them perfectly and deserves to go on to bigger and better things on the back of this.

The finale is possibly a bit overcooked but that would be my only real criticism of this film. One of the better low-profile movies I have seen in recent years, highly recommended.

This film is true to the essence of Cork and depicts its salt of the earth characters. Being from the city there was an extra layer of appreciation as a viewer: when the shipment was cast into the ocean a bale did go missing. I'm sure there were individuals who sought a fortune like the protagonists do in this film.

I was skeptical of watching the film as I was expecting it to be drawn out, filled with obvious one liners. I was happily surprised to discover I was wrong, the film creates two lovable rogue characters who are aware at times of their failings. No cheap jokes here, the dialogue was to the point without being obvious. I didn't expect the direction the film took, and am happy to see that the film is internationally well received, winning awards in LA, Texas and London.

If you are unsure, watch the movie trailer. Comedy gold with a tongue in cheek view, beautifully shot along West Cork. Don't take the characters as true representations of Corkonians, as this is a comedy. All aspects of this film are seamless: editing, dialogue, location, casting and soundtrack. Fantastic film, refreshingly not the typical Irish cinema most would expect from Ireland.

Having watched the TV Series first and fallen in love with Conor and Jock's escapades, I finally got around to watching the film. While it is still still fun, outrageous and cringeworthy (in a good way), the film isn't as good as the series. The characters feel slightly more 2 dimensional . If I had seen the film first, I doubt I would have wanted to watch the TV series. It's still an OK film and a good length, at less than 90 minutes and you can see the green shoots of what the TV show was to become.