THE FALL OF THE KRAYS (2016)

The Fall of the Krays (2016)
Directed by: Zackary Adler
Written by: Ken Brown, Sebastian Brown
Starring: Alexa Morden, James Weber Brown, Kevin Leslie, Phil Dunster, Simon Cotton

THE FALL OF THE KRAYS (2015)
Directed by Zackary Adler

Now running a successful security business and with Reg cementing his relationship with Frances by marrying her, everything looks peachy for the Kray twins, that is until one of their men gets hit by a rival gang who Ron despises. Deciding to take revenge on them, Ron takes matters into his own hands and murders one of the men responsible, an act which has a chain reaction to the brothers’ ultimate downfall. How many lives will be taken before the twins are brought to justice?

Following on from the slick, intense crime drama The Rise of the Krays, which I highly recommend you see before watching this second half, THE FALL OF THE KRAYS details where the twins’ business started going wrong for them and how they ultimately were their own undoing.

Having ruled London and been the most feared gang on the street, other gangs start to pop up to rival the brothers to take their crown and it appears that someone within the Kray’s firm seems to be leaking information to their rivals. An unhinged Ronnie Kray, the main driving force for the twins, makes the decisions that will either make or break the brothers whilst Reg can only tag along and attempt to talk sense to his brother. This constant guardianship of Ron puts strain on Reg’s relationship with wife Frances. She’s not just married one Kray brother, she’s essentially married both of them and it would seem Ronnie isn’t too impressed that someone is coming between him and his brother.

THE FALL OF THE KRAYS brings back the cast of the first film and manages to deliver the same feel of the sixties that was so brilliantly achieved in the first movie. However, the crisp, concise and powerful delivery displayed in the Rise is unfortunately lost here, leaving us with just a series of events that hardly link up to one another properly and often feel as though they’ve been randomly placed without any prior build-up. This affects the story and the delivery of it in such a way that it’s hard to actually care about what happens. Simon Cotton and Kevin Leslie return as Ron and Reg Kray respectively and although they give some good moments, it’s hard to know what they’re reacting to as so much information and detail appears to be left out of the plot. Whilst the Krays may be the main draw of the film, for me the true stars are narrator and Krays’ errand-boy gangster pal Dickie (Phil Dunster) and lady of the night Lisa (Alexa Morden) for whom Dickie has strong feelings for. These two have the most authentic presence about them and feel as though they’re the only thing real as they’re thrust into a world created and controlled by the Krays. They’re both on the inside and outside of the firm, giving a unique angle on the reign of the Krays.

Whilst there’s some brutal and intense moments here and there, THE FALL OF THE KRAYS just hasn’t got enough meat to create the impact it’s looking for. As they say, the Rise is always greater than the Fall.

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