The young Timmy strikes an instant friendship
with Marco. Flash forward to the present, with
the two as teenagers, just as rambunctious
and football-loving and happy in each other’s
presence, though Timmy is clearly the more
academically motivated. There’s a welcome
lightness to these early scenes, and you might
even find yourself chuckling (hold onto those
moments for dear life).
There’s a sweetness to Timmy, who is notable
not only for his loyalty to friends, but his
evolved attitude toward women. When he
meets Leah (an affecting Karla Simone-Spence),
he tells his sex-minded mates: “I don’t want
sex. I just want her.” The boys double over with
dubious laughter.
Some of the most engaging scenes involve
Leah, whom Timmy woos with no more than
his shy smile, an offer to binge-watch “Game
of Thrones,” and some Doritos. At one point he
compliments her singing and tells her she could
be a star. “How many singers do you know from
Peckham?“she asks, skeptically. He reminds
her that John Boyega — of “Star Wars” no less
— is from Peckham. It’s not just a humorous
throwaway line. He’s telling her that location
doesn’t need to define her.
But when tragedy strikes months later, it is indeed
location that determines loyalties, and fates.
Timmy and Marco will be drawn into a turf hatred
that seems likely to engulf them both. Being a
bystander isn’t an option.
Following an event that bisects the film — no
spoilers here — we’ll see the change most plainly
on Timmy’s face. It’s a striking transformation
that Odubola makes, from bouyant and hopeful