It’s a phrase that has been splattered across tabloids for the last few years and in Henry Blake’s powerful, uncompromising film, he details the cost of association in this criminal underworld. A powerful and realistic coming-of-age drama, ‘County Lines’ tells the story of Tyler (Conrad Khan), a rebellious 14-year-old boy who is groomed by local hood Simon (Harris Dickinson) into a ‘county lines’ criminal network. Inspired by the stories he heard while mentoring young people at an East London pupil referral unit, Blake’s powerful feature debut boasts a compelling central performance by Khan, with strong supporting performances from Ashley Madekwe as Tyler’s mother and Dickinson, one of the most compelling actors of recent years.
