Honeytrap

Quality of this film is not very high, the acting is not great at all. Compared to other British films this is shocking. Top it all off the ending was awful.

Ahh the travails of youth, what stupidity kids of a certain generation go through because they feel the need to belong to anything in their small, important lives. Honeytrap follows a 15 year old ex pat from Trinidad staying w/her mother in Blighty as she navigates the treacherous annals of teendom. Watching this as I approach middle age, I winced & fretted over this teen's decisions, I wondered if I would be so dejected & gullible that I wouldn't make the same mistakes. Told & acted w/refreshing honesty, you may hate the journey this film takes you on but ultimately the sobering message is worth the trip.

This was based on a real case of inter gang rivalry and a heartless honey trap to get one of the members. I remember how heartless the whole thing was. This film takes the basic premise and turns it into something altogether more human. Jessica Sula plays fifteen year Layla. She has come from Trinidad to live with her maternal mother in Brixton, South London.

Once there she starts to make new 'friends' at her school. They are mostly the sort who would be considered a 'bad influence' and she struggles to fit in. She does catch the eye of Alpha male and rapper Troy (Lucien Laviscount) and she drawn in caught by his macho charms. There is also Sean – who is an outsider within the group – he seems to be looked down on because of a perceived femininity however, he falls for Layla. This is something that will not be tolerated. This is though a story of lust, jealousy, anime, bullying and the need to belong.

The subjects are all dealt with in a responsible way and everyone puts in great performances. Jessica Sula is particularly good playing the out of water, new kid on the block who has a good heart but will not let her head rule it. The location shooting is all authentic too and that gives this much more credibility. This is a film that did not garner that much attention on release and I was not expecting great things and I have to say I was extremely pleasantly surprised – one that is easy to recommend.

This movie was very well-done. You can tell that it's an low budget movie but that fact isn't distracting. The characters are well thought out. The portrayal is very believable. There were moments I was laughing, gasping, grinning and sobbing.

Very well done. I recommend it.

Layla is a 15 year old girl who has just come 'home' to her mother in Brixton having spent the last ten years in Trinidad with her grandparents. A nice lad, Shaun, takes an immediate shine to her and Layla likes him too, if only as a friend. Instead, she falls for a local Z-lister Troy, who doesn't want her, but she can't have anyone else. The title of the film probably suggests this isn't going to end well. This is social realism at its best. Superbly acted. Emotional. And ultimately sad. Not your typical popcorn movie, but a must see 8 out of ten