Shifty (Riz Ahmed) is a young crack dealer in London whose life spirals out of control when his best friend Chris (Daniel Mays) returns home. He must deal with desperate customers and rival drug dealers while Chris confronts his past.

Film Trivia

• Director/writer Eran Creevy based Shifty on a former school friend, an A-grade student who discovered he could make more money in the real world by dealing drugs.
• Riz Ahmed is also known as the musician Riz MC. His first single was a controversial satire about the 9/11 attacks and was banned in the UK due to its politically sensitive lyrics.
• Daniel Mays, who plays Chris, has said that this film is significantly different to other Brit thrillers such as Adulthood. Whereas those films focus on a number of characters and issues, this film deals mainly with the break up of a friendship.
• This film was produced under the Microwave Project, which gives aspiring UK indie filmmakers money and mentors to help produce their films.

If you like Shifty, try these:

• Bronson
• Layer Cake
• The Football Factory