Written and directed by Max Fisher, co-written by Ayman Alhussein and Greer Ellison, a pair of flag-waving Brits go to sea to stop the Refugee Small Boats. But their naval fantasy falls apart, and they are forced to beg for rescue from the very people they set out to stop. Starring: Anton Valensi, Michael Jibson, Tom Page-Turner, Mudar Abbara, Sayyid Aki, Reza Bazarbashi, Raghad Chaar, Fadumo Hassan, Naiomi Israel, Abs Malima, Armin Nik, Zain Qureshi, Ola Teniola and Yan Toby-Amisi.

Something that Max Fisher, Ayman Alhussein and Greer Ellison immediately tap into with Rule, Britannia is the certain type of person who will ardently defend ‘British culture’. They’ll likely not be able to tell you what it actually entails, and the answer will probably have either veiled or overt racism included.

There are many who continue to deny the prevalence of racism in the UK but it’s plain to see. The filmmakers do a great job of capturing that with Rule, Britannia, and all the blind hatred, fascism and lack of self-awareness that go with it. As well as that particular sect’s never-ending tendency to blame others for anything and everything, rather than being conscious of the consequences of their own actions.

That foundation of political commentary and how we raise our children, mixed with a larger exploration of human nature, both the good and the bad, were all great choices for this story. Undoubtedly its message is right on the money, and inherently relevant but the way in which it’s delivered can feel a little too on the nose. Especially as scenes tend to run longer than they need to, it makes its point quickly, so letting those moments run over softens the sharpness of its tone. Especially as there’s some strong intentions with the plot, to infuse a great amount of tension but it doesn’t quite reach its potential when it’s delivered in an overt manner.

It’s something that’s reflected by the choice of music, on paper it makes perfect sense and it does work but it feels overwhelming. It’s a clever move but employed with a subtler hand, it could have potentially added a haunting, striking feel rather than a satirical or ironic one.

Similar could be said for the aesthetic, it’s solid but the cinematography is lacking a definitive texture or sharpness to its colour, to add some extra weight to the story. Although, there is a great deal going on and a high level of challenge with the shoot to capture everything out on the water, so to be able to put that together and hold onto a consistency is impressive. Visually it never feels overly hectic or juddery despite the setting, it finds the right amount of movement and chaos.

Consistency is definitely something you also find in the performances. Anton Valensi and Michael Jibson portray the perfect image of the quintessential British mix of football hooligan, binge-drinking, flag waving, toxic-masculinity and aggressive personality. However, they’re nicely not identical performances, they’re given the opportunity to show the differences between their characters with how they react in an emergency.

That’s really the key to the story, when given a chance to recognise their behaviour and the baseless nature of their hatred, will they repent or will they dig deeper? Tom Page-Turner then rounds out the trio with the mouldable mind of youth, exploring how hatred is not nature but warped nurture. He brings a great note of naivety and that classic young-male attempt at bravado. As well as how quickly that can fall to pieces once faced with actual danger.

Rule, Britannia holds a poignant message about the darker side of British society, and the undeniable prevalence of racism and blind hatred towards immigrants. Max Fisher, Ayman Alhussein and Greer Ellison make the point inherently clear, but it feels like it was delivered with a slightly heavy hand. The intentions and potential are great, but the execution is simply missing a subtler note and quicker pacing to drive home the emotions and relevancy more powerfully. Meaning that it might serve a younger audience most strongly, so while it is well made and done with a lot of consideration and sincere effort, it doesn’t quite reach its full heights.

Verdict: ✯✯✯½ | 7/10