This low-budget debut from German director Lexi Alexander has received sackloads of attention, thanks to its photogenic young cast and its subject matter (football hooliganism; specifically an ongoing battle between West Ham and Millwall supporters). But it's not your straightforward thug flick.
Films about warring tribes invariably concern an attempt by one man to renounce violence, only to get dragged back in. While there is such a figure here, he's not the central character.
Our hero is actually a brilliant, friendless Harvard student, Matt (Elijah Wood), who is expelled after taking the fall for a drug bust.
As he tells his sister when he comes to stay with her in London, he doesn't "do" drugs, so there's an irony about what comes next. Matt gets packed off for an evening with his brother-inlaw's kid brother, the West Ham-mad Pete (Charlie Hunnam - charismatic, despite a wobbly accent).
After the match, Matt is accidentally involved in a punch-up between the fans. Soon, he finds himself drawn into the world of the GSE (Green Street Elite); he's an addict now, and his drug of choice is violence.
The tiny, bright-eyed American treats each brawl like a bout of thrilling self-abuse and the highs are infectious - set to fast and furious pop songs, they have the feel of a hectic dream.
Right up until the end (with his brother-inlaw fighting for life in hospital and his sister's marriage in a state of collapse) he's still sneaking off for one last fix.
In terms of morality, sex and class allegiance, Matt is refreshingly hard to place. The character he comes closest to is Fight Club's dweebish lead. Alas, Alexander, who co-wrote the script, fails to stand by her bizarre creation.
Instead, she opts for an epilogue that gives us a new, improved Matt, a finale that pulls off the neat trick of being both barmy and entirely dull.
Green Street
Cert: cert18
