History has shown on innumerable occasions that gritty, street-level crime thrillers and musicals are two universally popular genres of cinema that are always capable of captivating a crowd, but combining the two seemed out of the question. At least it did, until the acclaimed Blue Story came along.
The lo-fi British independent film was written and directed by musician, producer, and filmmaker Rapman, and left a huge impression on those who witnessed the incredible genre-bending effort firsthand. The story follows two best friends who go to the same high school in the Peckham area of London, but constantly find themselves trapped in a never-ending parade of gang violence that threatens to upend every aspect of their existence.
Inspired by Rapman’s YouTube series Shiro’s Story, the creator used his newfound connections with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and the BBC to develop and finance the feature length interpretation, which was scooped up by Paramount. Blue Story wound up recouping its budget almost four times over at the box office, landing a 93 percent Rotten Tomatoes score into the bargain.
Now, Netflix subscribers are discovering the acclaimed, intense, atmospheric, and riveting exploration of wasted youth for themselves, with the movie soaring into the platform’s global Top 25. As per FlixPatrol, Blue Story currently ranks as a Top 10 hit in six countries spread out over two continents, with viewers enraptured by Rapman’s stunning examination of life on the streets in the United Kingdom, told in an unmistakably singular style that marks him out as a talent well worth keeping an eye on.
