Essex Boys: The Truth (2015) User Reviews

A lot of old material taken from O'Mahoney's British Gangsters TV Series.

[Info-340-323067 · 6/10 · 6 January 2017]

I won't give chapter and verse on the background of this tale, as I imagine that if you view this film you are aware of the 3 murders in Rettingdon and associated issues. This film is interesting and covers a few of similar cases. Some of the cases and the way in which they are presented seems like a plea to the viewer as to the validity of the criminal case against the criminals. This, I feel is probably best approached in another film or documentary. However, my main issue with the film is that an awful lot of the material used, mainly interviews with Bernard O'Mahoney's acquaintances, is a simple re-run of O'Mahoney's episodic TV series (now on DVD) about the underworld in Britain. These 2 series are very interesting and well worth a watch (British Gangsters: Faces Of The Underworld – Ser 1 & Gangsters: Faces Of The Underworld Ser 2). If, like me you have seen these 2 series then this film will feel much like watching repeat of hi-lights from the 2 series, which is very disappointing. Naturally some tit-bits are added so as to be able to call it "new" material or "the truth". In reality it is a very interesting watch but in the end, as viewer who is aware of the details of the crime will know no more than they did before viewing the film. 6/10

A great insight into the notorious Essex Boys! 5/10

[leonblackwood · 5/10 · 2 April 2016]

Review: This is another one of those documentaries, which claim to know the truth about the brutal murders of the Essex Boys in 1995. The three main members of the notorious gang, Craig Rolfe, Tony Tucker and Pat Yate, were found dead in a Range Rover in the middle of a remote farm track in Essex, and ever since then, there has been many movies, documentaries and books about what really happened to the three kingpins that controlled Essex during the 90's. Bernard O'Mahoney, who is the writer and narrator of this documentary, used to supply the security for the Raquels nightclub, which was run by Tony Tucker, so he has a history with the Essex Boys, who used to traffic drugs into the UK and distribute to many locations. Because of there brutal methods and heavy drug habits, it wasn't surprising, to there close ones, when they were found dead but many people speculated about who was the main culprits of the crime. It has now been over 20 years since there murders but people are still making money from being associated with them, just like the Krays. This documentary does give you an in depth insight into there underworld, were you could be in there good books one day, and then brutally murdered the next, and the people that were around the Essex Boys during that period, don't seem to mind talking about there "living on the edge" experiences, which were quite frightening. With all of the police corruption and coached witnesses, the crime really hasn't been solved but this documentary does give you a minute by minute breakdown of the events that took place before there assassinations. From an entertainment point of view, I found it quite gripping and very believable but I think that people are getting a bit fed up with the whole ordeal. I personally think that it will take some big stars to star in a movie about there criminal activities, to bring the whole Essex Boys myth back to light, like Tom Hardy in the Krays, because the public really don't know what is true and what is fiction. Watchable! 

Round-Up: Bernard O'Mahoney wrote and produced Bonded By Blood and he also wrote The Krays: Kill Order and a couple of episodes of British Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld, so he has really cashed in, on his experience in the underworld. The interviews with the various people who worked, and were acquaintances of the Essex Boys, were well put together and the information that he got from the various people, did put together a case which should put the real culprits behind bars and get the innocent people released from jail. I personally think that anyone could have killed the 3 crime lords because they really didn't have a care in the world and they had so many enemies. 

I recommend this movie to people who are into their documentaries about the brutal execution of 3 members of the Essex Boys in 1995. 5/10