Social Realism in Film

Social Realism is a relatively new genre of film. It has been coined by mainly the smaller production companies such Warp Films, an independent film company based in England. Even though the films are mainly produced by the smaller independent companies they create such a following that the films become a success for the actors and for the company. An example of such a film is; "This Is England" When released this film had very little advertising based around it and wasn't well promoted, but due to a few people watching and starting a cult following, and the factor of rave reviews from newspapers, the film turned in to a retail and commercial success for the company and the actors.
So, why do people enjoy watching Social Realism films? It's down to the fact that they portray a very unmediated, uncensored version of life how it is, depending on what time the film is set. for an example I'm going to use "This Is England" again. The film is set in early 1980's England where skinhead culture is thriving. The typical lonely little boy who gets bullied, falls in with the crowd of skinheads who accept him as one of their own and he eventually follows the culture, which was relevant then and is still relevant now with gang and youth culture still growing in parts of Britain. People watch Social Realism films because they can relate. They've either been in the situation or know someone who has, that's why they are so successful because they can relate plus in certain cases it can show the negative parts of today's culture in a positive light.