‘Betrayal lust revenge’
Nemesis is a 2021 British crime thriller about an underworld kingpin whose past catches up with him when he returns to London.
Directed by James Crow (Nightmare on 34th Street; Black Creek; House of Salem; Curse of the Witching Tree) from a screenplay written by Adam Stephen Kelly (Kill Kane), based on a story by Adam Stephen Kelly and producer Jonathan Sothcott.
The Shogun Films production stars Julian Glover, Nick Moran, Bruce Payne, Rupert Holliday-Evans, Frank Harper, Billy Murray, Lucy Aarden and Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott.
Plot:
When underworld kingpin John Morgan (Billy Murray) returns to London with his wife Sadie (Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott) from their perfect life abroad, a feud is reignited with vengeful cop Frank Conway (Nick Moran), who is obsessed with bringing him down.
Meanwhile, pressure from big boss Damien Osbourne (Bruce Payne) only adds unnecessary heat to the rising tension within the family business, with Morgan’s brother Richard (Frank Harper) and nephew Eddie (Danny Bear) constantly at each other’s throats. John aims to bring the Morgan gang together at a party in his plush apartment, where they are set to meet his daughter Kate’s (Ambra Moore) new girlfriend Zoe (Lucy Aarden).
All is not what it seems, and as the night progresses, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues ending in revenge and murder. As the family are trapped in their own home by a gang of heavily armed intruders…
Reviews:
“The template for many of these gangster films are the likes of Get Carter and Guy Ritchie’s oeuvre but Nemesis lacks the twisty-turny story and the profane sparkly dialogue instead preferring to just keep it profane. The script is exposition-heavy and flabby especially in the final act and the action is clumsily handled…” Any Good Films?
“Nemesis’ combination of genres had me on the edge of my seat. Nemesis is a bit different than your typical gangster flick. It is not guns blazing 24/7, but it is entertaining throughout its entire runtime. Nemesis is a unique viewing experience.” Bulletproof Action
“In the third act, the family dinner party turns into a home invasion nightmare that is an ordeal for all the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, copper Conway is downing whiskies in a gentrified East End boozer, getting all riled up for revenge. A twist at the end of the meal is ludicrous. In cockney rhyming slang, this is pony and trap.” The Guardian
“I found the storyline really good, I really liked the concept and was rooting for John for most of the film, the execution seemed a bit rushed at times and I wish we had more time to learn more about the background of some of the characters, especially Frank Conway (Nick Moran) but this may have been intentional due to the unfolding of events.” It Girl World UK
” …we could have given a lot of these characters sympathy and supported their decisions, instead of just ending up watching them make the same basic mistakes, talking too much. The story does try to be so clever with how everything is unfolding but ends up falling flat because of the lack of interesting characters in the film.” Movie Reviews 101
“Personally, I’d have cut 50% of the F-bombs (less really is more); added a reference to Chas and Dave during a line about an irritated antagonist, and trimmed a second or two from that final scene, but it hardly matters. It’s lean, mean, looks terrific, and is hugely entertaining, especially when the pieces of the puzzle slot into place.” On: Yorkshire
“Good British gangster films are as rare as British tennis players through to the second round of Wimbledon. Unfortunately, Nemesis wouldn’t even make it to the qualifying rounds. Slow, clichéd and poorly acted, James Crow’s film has all the hallmarks of the 1990s, but without the glamour.” The Reviews Hub
“For what should’ve been no-brainer, by-the-numbers gangster film #873, Nemesis is boring, lazy and derivative – and that is it at its best. At its worst, it is an offensive, nasty relic…” UK Film Review
“The pace vastly improves, and the audience does take some exciting and surprising turns in the intense finale, but after so much time devoted to set-up, the payoff still falls somewhat flat. It’s a real shame as the climax exemplifies the heights the film could have reached had it been firing on all cylinders from the off.” The Upcoming
Release:
In the UK, Bulldog Film Distribution releases Nemesis on DVD and Digital on 29th March 2021.
Cast and characters:
Julian Glover … Sebastian
Nick Moran … Frank Conway
Bruce Payne … Damien Osborne
Rupert Holliday-Evans … Lewis
Frank Harper … Richard Morgan
Billy Murray … John Morgan
Lucy Aarden … Zoe
Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott … Sadie Morgan
Ricky Grover … Billy
Johnny Palmiero … Mickey Dean
Lee Nicholas Harris … Police Sergeant Harris
Jonathan Sothcott … Project Solace Guest
Olivia Hespe … Masked Woman
Danny Bear … Eddie
Andy Gatenby … Steve
Ambra Moore … Kate Morgan
Rebecca Ferdinando … Janet
Andreina Sambucetti … Police Officer Geidtz
Elliott Francis … Waiter
Michael Otteson … Masked Man
Adam Stephen Kelly … Project Solace Guest
Russ Kane … Speaker
Lexi Gatenby … Young Zoe
James Smith … Project Solace Guest
Technical details:
88 minutes
Trailer:
Clip:
