--- title: "This Is England '90" year: 2015 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/this-is-england-90" fi1m_id: "this-is-england-90" imdb_id: "tt2528254" tmdb_id: 44641 wikidata_id: "Q7785790" fi1m_score: 81 critics_reviews: 3 published: "2026-10-07T17:26:27.721782+00:00" updated: "2026-10-07T17:26:28.166731+00:00" region: "RO" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # This Is England '90 (2015) Created by Shane Meadows · 1h 16m · Drama ## Identity This Is England '90 - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/this-is-england-90 - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** this-is-england-90 - **IMDb ID:** tt2528254 - **TMDB ID:** 44641 - **Wikidata ID:** Q7785790 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2528254/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/44641, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7785790 **Fi1m score: 81** · Critics: 3 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* Four episodes of wishing these people well and occasionally wishing we could leave the table > Shane Meadows gives ordinary friendship unusual weight in this moving four-part drama. The plotting sometimes forces the pain, especially around Kelly, but a patient ensemble and Stephen Graham’s compelling Combo make the difficult conversations worth staying for. ## Synopsis Lol (Vicky McClure), Richard ‘Woody’ Woodford (Joe Gilgun) and Shaun Fields (Thomas Turgoose) are among the faces in this four-part drama about ordinary lives and friendship. Combo (Stephen Graham), Kelly (Chanel Cresswell) and Michael ‘Milky’ (Andrew Shim) are also part of the ensemble. A lighter opening gives the group time in one another’s company before the series moves into more painful conversations. The story stays with the effort of maintaining friendships, following people whose shared history makes being together both important and difficult. ## Review *This Is England ‘90* is a moving, sometimes awkwardly assembled drama that earns our recommendation through the people in it. Across four episodes, director Shane Meadows gives friendship the sustained attention television more often reserves for an investigation. There is pleasure in spending time with this group before the heavier material arrives, and that pleasure matters to what follows. The trouble is that the lighter opening and the more painful stretches do not always feel comfortably joined. With Vicky McClure as Lol, Joe Gilgun as Richard ‘Woody’ Woodford and Thomas Turgoose as Shaun Fields, the series has plenty of reason to let a conversation run. These are performances we want to stay with, even when a scene is taking its time getting somewhere. The affection does not depend on everyone being agreeable. What holds our attention is the effort involved in keeping friends close once knowing them well has stopped making that easy. The long dinner-table scene is where that patience pays off. We found it painful to watch, because the cast make speaking plainly seem so difficult. Matthew Gray’s editing allows the sequence its length, and the time spent there becomes part of the discomfort: we have to remain with these people while they struggle through it. There is no need to describe what is said; the actors make us care about what it costs to say it. Cinematographer Stuart Bentley and production designer Jane Levick keep our attention on the people without making their surroundings a distraction. We are not left coveting somebody’s furniture; we are wondering how long a conversation can continue. The music by Pablo Clements and James Griffith is similarly secondary to the performances. In the dinner-table sequence, that seems the right proportion, since the actors already give us enough to attend to without further encouragement. Stephen Graham, playing Combo, is especially compelling, and the series feels more concentrated whenever his performance takes hold. Chanel Cresswell’s Kelly is less well served by the writing, with some of her story feeling arranged to secure a particular emotional response. Jack Thorne is the credited writer, and the weakness is a familiar one in intimate drama: we can feel when trouble has been assigned to someone. We remain concerned for Kelly, but there are stretches when that concern has to work against our doubts about the plotting. As social drama, it is strongest when ordinary companionship is allowed to occupy a substantial part of an episode. Shane Meadows lets the characters take up our evening without continually proving that each exchange advances a story. We value that, though patience with people does not automatically produce a well-shaped series. The shifts in weight and pace sometimes ask the performances to carry more than they should, particularly when a lighter passage gives way to something much harder. The loose storytelling is a real reservation, though we would still recommend spending these four episodes with this cast. Their company makes the quieter stretches worthwhile and gives the painful ones a reason to exist beyond putting us through an ordeal. Choose an evening when nobody needs the television to improve their mood. *Fi1m score 81, published 7 October 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is This Is England '90 worth watching?** *This Is England '90* is worth watching for its patient ensemble performances and moving attention to friendship; we scored it 81. We recommend it to anyone who values difficult conversations and time spent with characters, though the uneven shifts in tone and Kelly’s sometimes forced plotting keep it from being wholly convincing. **How long is This Is England '90, and what is it rated?** *This Is England '90* has episodes of about 1h 16m. It is a drama series. **Where can I watch This Is England '90 in Romania?** *This Is England '90* is not on any streaming or rental service in Romania at the moment. It is available in 2 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is This Is England '90, and is it suitable for children?** *This Is England '90* carries a UK 18 certificate and is not suitable for children. We find its difficult conversations painful to watch, particularly the prolonged dinner-table scene, where speaking plainly costs the characters considerable effort. The certificate signals adult material, but we cannot give a specific account of violence or frightening content from those conversations alone. **How does This Is England '90 compare to Secrets & Lies?** *This Is England '90* offers four episodes of friendship under strain, while [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) concentrates its funny, painful family conversations into a single film. We would favour *Secrets & Lies* for one uninterrupted evening, and the series for those who want longer in an ensemble’s company. Both depend on performances that remain persuasive when the writing becomes too deliberate. **What should I watch after This Is England '90?** After *This Is England '90*, try [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) (1996, Fi1m 88): Family conversations turn painful, with humour surviving where politeness gives up. Then [*La Haine*](https://film.one/film/la-haine) (1995, Fi1m 90): Friendship and idle talk become tense drama under relentless pressure from outside; and [*The Last Picture Show*](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show) (1971, Fi1m 89): Small-town friendships and disappointed hopes, observed with patience and little sentimentality. ### Reviews we read (3) - **The Guardian**, Dorian Lynskey (65/100, inferred): The critic finds this the saga’s least coherent instalment, yet remains moved by its characters and the prospect of their departure. He particularly praises the depth of the series’ attention to ordinary lives and the long work of friendship. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/11/this-is-england-90-review-the-leftovers-season-two-shane-meadows-damon-lindelof-stephen-graham) - **Digital Spy**, Morgan Jeffery (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the episode tough to watch but utterly captivating, calling it one of the series’ most poignant instalments. They single out the long dinner-table confession scene for its emotional power and the cast’s performances. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a670322/this-is-england-90-episode-3-review-tough-to-watch-but-captivating/) - **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (80/100, inferred): Mellor says the episode restores the series to its best, delivering powerful drama after a lighter start. She especially praises Stephen Graham’s compelling performance as Combo, while noting some contrivance in Kelly’s storyline. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/this-is-england-90-episode-3-review-autumn/) ## Details - **Created by:** Shane Meadows - **Creator:** Shane Meadows - **Director:** Shane Meadows - **Writer:** Jack Thorne - **Cinematography:** Stuart Bentley - **Editor:** Matthew Gray - **Music:** Pablo Clements, James Griffith - **Production design:** Jane Levick - **Costume design:** Charlotte Walter - **Producer:** Mark Herbert, Rebekah Wray-Rogers - **Cast:** Vicky McClure as Lol; Joe Gilgun as Richard 'Woody' Woodford; Stephen Graham as Combo; Thomas Turgoose as Shaun Fields; Andrew Shim as Michael 'Milky'; Chanel Cresswell as Kelly; Jo Hartley as Cynth; Andrew Ellis as Gadget - **Runtime:** 1h 16m - **Release (Romania):** 13 September 2015 - **Genres:** Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNAkC9yYyRQ ## Where to watch in Romania Not streaming, renting or buying in Romania at the last check. Also available in: GB, IE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - BAFTA Television Awards 2016: British Academy Television Awards (won) ## If you liked this - *Secrets & Lies* (1996), Fi1m 88: Family conversations turn painful, with humour surviving where politeness gives up. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies.md) - *The Virtues* (2019): Shame, damaged relationships and Stephen Graham, given the time such material needs. - *Girlhood* (2014): A group of young women find pleasure and protection in one another. - *La Haine* (1995), Fi1m 90: Friendship and idle talk become tense drama under relentless pressure from outside. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/la-haine.md) - *The Last Picture Show* (1971), Fi1m 89: Small-town friendships and disappointed hopes, observed with patience and little sentimentality. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/this-is-england-90