If you're reading this review, I might assume that you are American, as I am. This movie, obviously, occurs in Britain; and the subject matter(Joint Enterprise Law) is strictly British. Still, I assure you that this foreignness won't hinder your enjoyment or lessen the movie's criticism of the law.
The movie's crux is fairly simple. The protagonist is a 17-year old named Johnjo O'Shea. He drives 3 of his brother's friends to a pizza store, with the belief that they only wanted a pizza. In actuality, the trio --- Colin McCabe, Hugo Davies, Kieran Gillespie --- intended to non-fatally confront an enemy, and during the altercation, Kieran Gillespie stabs an innocent bystander. Johnjo O'Shea, who waited outside in the car the entire time, drove the trio away. He had no knowledge of the murder until after.
Based on those facts, you would assume that only Kieran Gillespie would be charged with murder because only he wielded the knife, no? There is where you are wrong, and there is where the movie's criticism begins and ends.
Courtesy of the "joint enterprise" law, all four boys get charged with murder, with the frightening prospect of life in jail. I would say more, but I won't spoil.
The movie nicely highlights the injustice of the law. Policemen, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys -- all are heartless, devious, or dim-witted in this flick. Joint enterprise becomes especially villainous because the viewer feels sympathy towards the protagonist, which arises from his own circumstances as well as the movie's depiction of his mother's worries (well-acted by the beautiful Jodhi May).
If I had one criticism, I wish the movie had been about 30 minutes longer (2 hours) to more fully develop the legal process. But this criticism is minor and clearly insufficient to prevent my conferring a 10 rating.
