matthewthomasbutcher Review of If the Streets Were on Fire

If the Streets Were on Fire (2022)

A compelling, beautiful film about a community under threat

[10/10 · 20 March 2023]

This is a beautiful film in many ways - weaving a compelling story about a community of bikers whose rides are under threat from overpolicing, and set in the context of a public realm under sustained and brutal attack from the government. There's serious political purpose to the film but the story doesn't feel obvious or overdone. Instead we meet characters who we quickly love - and come away reminded of how communities in this country have been abandoned, and how they have resourced themselves to fightback. If you do get a chance to watch this film, grab it, or else wait until it's on the BBC in the Autumn, when it's sure to create a lot of noise.