Scum

Alan Clarke directed this British crime drama, released in September 1979, from a screenplay by Roy Minton. It was the second film in Clarke's directing career, following Shelter in 1967. The story centres on Carlin, a teenager sent to a tough reform school after assaulting a staff member. The institution is run on brutality: the officers, backed by the governor, set the stronger inmates against the weaker ones and expect the boys to fall in line. Carlin keeps his head down at first, but he rises through the inmate hierarchy until he becomes its leading figure. Once at the top, he is not content to serve out his time; he turns against the system itself, and the pressure inside the walls builds toward open revolt. Ray Winstone plays Carlin, with Mick Ford as Archer, Julian Firth as Davis, John Blundell as Banks, Phil Daniels as Richards and John Judd as Mr. Sands among the credited cast of 27.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.5 from around 14,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.1 from over 200 votes. A critics' rating of 6 out of 10 from nine reviews sits below both audience scores, suggesting viewers respond to it more warmly than reviewers did. The film, produced by Davina Belling and Clive Parsons, runs 96 minutes.