Shifty is a British urban crime thriller, written and directed by Eran Creevy. Set on the outskirts of London and filmed in Borehamwood, Shifty follows themes of friendship and loyalty over the course of 24 hours in the life of a young drug dealer, the charismatic Shifty. Shifty was filmed predominantly in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, the home of Elstree Studios. Based on Eran Creevy's teenage experiences, and boasting convincing performances from a cast of rising stars, as well as veteran actors Jason Flemyng and Francesca Annis, the film was funded by Film London's Microwave scheme and delivered after a shooting schedule of just 18 days.
Plot
After four years, Chris returns to where he grew up, it seems at first to attend a party, but his real motive is to catch up with his old buddy, Shifty who he left behind. Whilst away, Chris has settled into responsible adult life, with a mortgage and a good job, but he is shocked to discover that Shifty has been dealing cocaine for some time, supplied by the double dealing Glen. Although happy to see him, Shifty has not fully forgiven Chris for leaving in the first place, and it is soon learned that the circumstances under which Chris left are more complicated than they first seemed. They spend the next 24 hours together, with Chris watching Shifty as he deals to a variety of increasingly desperate customers from the community. Over the course of this day they are forced to confront the ghosts from the past that drove Chris away and the desperate and dangerous present that Shifty finds himself in, whilst re-discovering their friendship. Chris is once again given an opportunity to prove his loyalty to Shifty and to try to ultimately save Shifty from himself.
Cast
Riz Ahmed as Shifty — a local drug dealer who gets torn between street crime and what could be different
The soundtrack to the film was composed by Molly Nyman, Harry Escott and performed by The Samphire Band. It was nominated for Best Technical Achievement at the British Independent Film Awards 2008. The score was performed live in Film & Music Arena at the Latitude Festival in 2009. All tracks performed by The Samphire Band, except where stated.
Track listing
"Shifty Theme"
"Busting My Ghaand"
"Charming Glen"
"Why Am I Running?"
"CataclysMic"
"Swings"
"Spilling the Various"
"Blare's House"
"Tough Call"
"Good Boy"
"Look At You"
"Night Watch"
"Leave it All Behind"
"Play the Tape"
"Shifty"
"Shifty" - Single
The official single for the film was performed by British rappers Riz MC, Riz Ahmed who portrays Shifty in the film, Sway and Plan B. Released on 11 May 2009 on True Tiger Recordings, the single did not chart. The music video, also directed by Eran Creevy, was filmed in the same locations as the film and features Riz MC, Sway and Plan B each rapping along with footage taken from the film. Riz MC, Sway and Plan B performed the song live on 24 April 2009 at Bar Rumba, London for the film's launch party.
Digital download and CD single
"Shifty" - 3:36
"Shifty" - 4:53
12" vinyl
"Shifty" - 4:53
"Shifty" - 6:26
"Shifty" - 3:36
Reception
The film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes out of 25 reviews. Many claimed that despite a very low budget, the film's actors and storyline was of the highest calibre, and therefore was a well formed, character-driven debut for Creevy. However, customers on Amazon.co.uk only gave an average review of 3.5 stars, with some claiming that the film's low budget left it with a dialogue-driven production with little or no action to add to proceedings.
