A film that received terrible reviews when it was released several years ago has been doing surprisingly well on Netflix.
Strangeways Here We Come, set in Salford and starring Michelle Keegan, was initially slammed for its ‘vile stereotypes’ – something its creator has defended.
It follows a group of residents on a council state plotting revenge on a local loan shark, played by Stephen Lord.
Alongside Michelle Keegan in her first film role, the cast also includes Chanel Cresswell and Perry Fitzpatrick from This Is England and Misfits actor Lauren Socha.
Strangeways Here We Come was written and directed by Chris Green, from Lower Broughton, in 2018.
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The film was absolutely slated by The Guardian on its release, who said in a one-star review that it was an ‘awful Salford-set Shameless ripoff’.
It’s named after a The Smiths album of the same name, but the paper noted it was ‘roughly as funny as Morrissey is nowadays’ – which is not very.
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The Times went a step further, giving it exactly zero stars out of five. I didn’t even know that was a thing.
Michelle Keegan stars in Strangeways Here We Come. Credit: Strangeways Here We Come
“This was made by someone who lived there. Growing up on Spike Island we saw a lot of violence. I can honestly say that 90 per cent of what you see in that film is true – its stuff I’ve seen, stuff I’ve experienced or know about. Apart from the murder, obviously.”
He added: “When [the film] came out, it was like putting Salford on the map. At the end of the day, all those unsavoury characters who are a bit brutal, are part of a community.
“When the chips are down, like the Salford communities I remember, they all come together to help each other out.”
But despite failing to wow the critics (understatement), the film has been quietly plucking away with Netflix audiences, and popped into the top 10 in the UK on its release week.
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Green said: “I couldn’t get my head round the fact that Strangeways Here we Come had gone to number ten on Netflix films yesterday. But now it’s at NUMBER 9!!!
Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Featured Image – Altitude
TV & Showbiz
Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
Daisy Jackson -
25th November 2022 
