This Is Birmingham

Directed by Kay S. Ubhi

2026

Director and actor Kay S. Ubhi takes us on a whirlwind journey through Birmingham’s dark side in this stark, gritty and gripping new British crime drama.

The Kaleo family name is no secret in the Birmingham underworld. Known for their prolific drug trades and warfare, leader Al Kaleo (Navdeep Monga) has established himself and the family as a dominating force within Birmingham’s notorious crime ring. Following Al Kaleo’s arrest after a suspected murder charge, the underworld descends into chaos without any clear leadership.

In the midst of the uncertainty, Al Kaleo’s brother-in-law, Baz (Surj Kumar) is appointed as the new head of the Kaleo family operations. However, Asher Kaleo (Kay S. Ubhi), son of Al Kaleo, disapproves of his uncle-in-law’s methods, and instead uses the opportunity to make his debut into Birmingham’s underground crime scene as a well-respected crime lord. Asher (referred to as ‘AK’) recruits London-born runaway TJ (Marlon Watkis) as his cash runner alongside Blacz (Jerome Richards) who acts as his closest ally and enforcer.

When a London gang run by the infamous Ruvelle (Jag Patel) and enforced by the shady Zaza (Tayfun Sevgili) begins encroaching on Kaleo territory to sell grade A heroin, a devastating gang-war breaks out in a suspenseful and thrilling fight to see who will ultimately take over the Birmingham underworld.

Director Kay S. Ubhi introduces the story with striking visual aesthetics and cinematography akin to that of the popular Netflix series Top Boy through the use of cool, gritty colour grading and striking city B-roll to create a moody and intense atmosphere. However, given how beautifully crafted the film itself is, I was heavily disappointed that the cover used for the film was ai-generated.

The narrative of the film tells a story much deeper than two rival gangs competing for territory. It tells the story of TJ, a wayward young man going through the motions of life and struggling to find purpose, and AK, a sheltered son who merely wants to live up to his family name, feeling as though it’s all he has. As the film progresses, AK begins to understand why his father kept him away from the underground, grappling with the weight of responsibility and the gang war looming over him. Meanwhile, through AK, TJ learns how to listen to himself and his intuition and ends up becoming a vital piece in ending the war between the gangs before finding a happy ending of his own.

How this narrative unfolds throughout the film, however, severely lacks in its ability to show rather than tell. Key plot points, character backstory, and relationship building are all done through dialogue, with the occasional voiceover to supplement a transition of time. The viewer only understands TJ’s trauma and his development through his voiceovers, and AK’s character is only explored through his dialogue with Blacz, TJ, Ruvelle, Zaza, and the other gang members.

There are key characters and character relationships which we never learn about. For example, the viewer is never told or shown why Baz was placed as head of the Kaleo family over AK, nor is the relationship between Al Kaleo and Baz ever established. This is particularly confusing when you consider that Baz married into the family. His background prior to the Kaleo’s in unclear.

The narrative also fails to reveal why Al Kaleo wanted to keep AK away from the underworld until the very end of the film in a moment of self-reflection from AK says “My father, I understand you now, why you tried to keep me away from all this. You sacrificed your relationship to protect me.” Given how crucial this piece of dialogue is in understanding AK as a character, it should not have been left to the end, and the viewer should have seen more of AK’s relationship with his father, whether through the use of flashbacks or present-day communications with relatives or with Al Kaleo in prison.

The lack of nuance in storytelling diminishes the narrative’s impact and leaves no space for the viewer to interpret the story for themselves and create their own meanings. Characters aren’t developed, relationships aren’t clearly established, and the film becomes reduced to its core elements of enticing visual aesthetics and well-choreographed fight scenes.

‘This is Birmingham’ does deliver in its promise of being a gritty, thrilling crime drama. However, if you’re someone looking for a film with a deeper, more inspirational message, then this may not be the film for you. 

★★★

3 / 5

Angelique Ritter

www.instagram.com/_angiesjournal

On digital 6 April from Miracle Media