Midlands Review of Patriot
midlandsmovies • September 11, 2021
Patriot
Directed by Idriss Assoumanou
2021
How can there be compassion in a world full of so much hate is the question asked in a new West Midlands drama from local director Idriss Assoumanou.
The filmmaker begins his 20 minute short with the sound of a crowd singing God Save the Queen with nationalism and identity being themes that permeate the story we are to be told.
We are introduced to a young man (an introspective Isaac Beechey) who is watching Britain First videos on his phone in the park. The films shows accessing these sort of extremist opinions can be as simple and easy as watching online. But the film also reflects how these seemingly small actions lead can lead to far larger and more dangerous views. And further down the line, it goes beyond extreme language into real-life brutality.
After draping himself in an England flag and embarking on a bus, he stares out the window watching the Asian community around him with a sense of resentment and anger.
After receiving a call he meets his friend (Corey Thompson) and together they attack an Asian man (Shaiek Ahmed Rana) in an underpass and film their violent assault on a mobile phone. Again, we see the permeation of social media and menace of online radicalism whilst they watch the footage back in amusement.
The film very much concerns itself with race relations and national identity. It also builds upon the themes of one of the director’s last films In the Midst which also looked at extremism. But it also explores the notion of image and appearance. How people “look” – whether racially, culturally, amongst their peers or on social media – is alluded to in almost every scene.
The boys then meet up with a more senior local hard-man (a frightening Matt Fearnley) and we discover that the incident forms part of an initiation into a larger squad. The older man even encourages the two friends to be violent towards each other showing how outward aggression even forms a big part of their internal group.
The technical elements are great with sweeping camera shots, emotional close ups and clear editing to get the subject matter, and its deeper connotations, across to the audience.
The great script by A R Ugas sees the use of phrases like “cause”, “the soldier is out of the barracks”, “rank” and “enemy” scattered throughout - with the racist group using military terms to make their actions seem like a symbolic war.
The story continues as we find out their friend Michael (Josef Hyland) is to be released from prison and they meet in a playground – ironic given their immature and puerile view on the world. Despite Michael saying he was originally consumed by revenge, he is in fact suspected by the others of being an informant as it’s revealed his 15-year sentence became just 3 before his release.
The film concludes with a number of surprising twists. I won’t spoil them here but they really help make the somewhat familiar character types and narrative go in fascinating new directions. Less up my street was the use a strong orchestral score which, although powerful, felt overused. The final 5 minutes of the film, right up until the credits, seems like the whole orchestral suite was played in full.
A slice of silence may have allowed the audience to breathe when so many dramatic beats come to a head. However there is a bit of respite at the end which delivers a show of mercy to offer some hope in an turbulent world.
In the end though, Patriot is another strong showing from one of the West Midlands’ best directors. Assoumanou has a strong voice with a lot to say about the current state of the UK and gives individual stories their place amongst larger societal issues.
With themes of radicalisation, retaliation and redemption, Patriot delivers an unflinching look at the terrible consequences of radical violence – both physical and psychological. Yet against this horrifying problem, the film’s powerful ending waves a flag for even the smallest of chances for compassion and healing.
Michael Sales
As part of our Midlands on the Move features, we speak to Carl Staples, a Midlands storyboarder and filmmaker with a wide range of regional experience who went on to be involved in the Oscar-winning short film The Silent Child. Find out more about Carl's work...
Our resident local film critic @_jacob.holmes headed off beyond the region's boundaries to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints for first timers, as he provides a guide for local filmmakers and film fans as to what to expect when visiting events further afield... In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.
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