Finny, Rage and Too Fine are known as Time Served, an up-and-coming black hip hop act. When we meet them it seems they are destined for success. However their dreams are shattered when Too Fine is brutally murdered for unpaid street debts. The remaining band members, along with Too Fine’s sister, Hope, are left to pick up the pieces. Dropped by the record company and gripped by revenge, they are sucked back into the world they had tried so hard to escape: an uncontrollable spiral into drugs, guns and street violence. Selling crack cocaine on the streets of South London, it is only a matter of time before the wrong type of people start asking the wrong kind of questions.
With a distinctive, stylized look underscored by an outstanding original soundtrack featuring artists including Dizee Rascal, Kano, Life and Rodney P (who also all have roles in the film), Rollin’ with the Nines is a first for British cinema, a true ‘black gangsta’ movie. It is also an accomplished and fast-paced urban thriller with snappy performances all round. This is writer/director/editor Gilbey’s second feature. HH
