User Reviews

I was a little sceptical at first, having read that the budget was only $2,000, I needn't have worried. What Sheikh has produced here is nothing short of a miracle.

There were a couple of times I felt a tad confused as to where we were in the timeline, but that was probably more to my being distracted during the viewing than anything else.

My honest opinion about the incidental music is that at times it seemed a little too obtrusive.

Also, I'd have liked a few more heavy action scenes but hey, for the money spent, it was/is an unbelievably good effort.

Sheikh put so much work into making this; Filming, Writing, Editing, Producing, etc. Coupled with some very good acting and some neat dialogue it made for a very entertaining, not to mention, enlightening (especially with regard to the information about the drug trade. Got some good tips there Bro, thanks).

All in all, an amazing piece of work, just imagine what Sheikh could do with a bigger budget at his disposal?

A compelling watch. The film location was a great choice giving an insight into Birmingham's underworld. The main cast gave the film a modern Bollywood feel and the supporting actors provided the authenticity which did in fact made the film - of which they should have had more visibility and played a bigger part as their characters were interesting. It was felt that the main character's name was a strategic choice to get the viewers in. Overall, the film lacked the vital authenticity of the make-up of Birmingham but was visually impactful and stimulating and a good watch.

Oh my! Where do i start? I adored this film.

From the storyline to the performances . Everything about this film brought a new sense and dusted off the feelings I had as a viewer about a drugs film.

Fresh, innovative . This film gave new eyes on an old story and had me surprised by how i felt for the drug abuser Cooks. I felt for him like a mother feels for her son. The acting was oscar worthy to me. Each and every actor performed with such realism.

Imran was horrific, in a good way. A bad guy that you wanted to hate but was oh so charming. Danny , the undercover guy was tormented and agonized by his choices which made the story, especially with his handler Collins, who seemed to want to protect Danny, but at the same time ,put his feelings aside to get Danny to do his job. I really liked their relationship and if i have any criticism, it would be that i would've liked to see Danny and Collins interact more other than work. They really sold the movie as well as Cooks for me.

An angry, gritty grenade of a film, that questions the ends, the means, and everything in between of UK drug laws.

An inspiring debut by Sheikh Shahnawaz - one of the best Midlands' directors since Shane Meadows.

Nolan-esque in all the right ways, and with a third act that'll hit you much harder than 'The Departed'.

Phenomenal score by Savfk.

The film's genius is the tangled ties between Gurj Gill's ambitious cop and Jason Adam's abandoned junkie.

Great filmmaking and great performances all around. Excellent screenplay, edit, score, and camerawork. This movie gathered a lot of buzz on filmmaking communities online, and I had to come check it out. Great feature debut from the very talented Sheikh Shahnawaz. A very personal police story with very memorable performances that shuns gunplay and shootouts to focus on the heart - or lack thereof - of policing. I look forward to recognizing Gurj Gill, Jason Adam, and Nisaro Karim in many more things to come.

A well written, involving, even gripping crime thriller. The whole piece is so well done and believable. I don't know if it's based on a true story. But if it's not, it certainly feels like it was. All so vivid and real. The characters are all interesting, the dialogue is great. And every performance in the film was spot on. Just excellent.

Director: Sheikh Shahnawaz

Writer: Sheikh Shahnawaz (Screenplay)

Starring: Gurj Gill, Jason Adam, Nisaro Karim, James Jaysen Bryhan (Shadow and Bone) Joe Egan (Sherlock Holmes) .

Bluff starts when a London Police officer Danny Miller (Gill) accepts an offer to go undercover from his superior, Detective Collins (Bryhan) in the heroin world in a small town, making friends with addict Cooks (Adam), to learn about the other connections within the area.

The line between his job and being a criminal becomes hazy, as his investigation becomes dangerous the closer he gets to finding out the source of the drug trafficker.

The performances from Gill, Adam Karim and Bryhan (though we don't really see much of his character, we see an amazing amount of emotions from being Gill's superior to being a father figure and I personally would've liked to see more of the relationship between Gill and Bryhan) are fantastic.

What's wonderful about this film, aside from telling a story of a cop going undercover(which we've all seen) is that the story resonates around Cooks (Adam) addiction and how he deals with it. That was quite refreshing and i was invested in his character.

I hope that there is a sequel and though I won't give away the ending, I'd like to see what happens next between Collins(Bryhan) and Miller(Gill).

Overall, a 9 out of 10 for me as i believe the appearances of Egan and Bryhan as established known actors sell the film with a virtually unknown cast.

Characters are true to life and believable. Well researched and filmed. Should win an award.

The storyline was exciting and the characters enigmatic too and kept the viewer guessing as to what was going to happen. Edge of the seat action.

The acting in this film was exceptional particularly in the case of Cookie and the lead character of the undercover policeman. The villan was also believable as was his security person (bodyguard).

The settings and scenery were most apt for the topics and gained a sense of being there. Was an eye opener to the world of inner lives of drug use.

Best film seen since I Daniel Blake.

Well done.

Thank goodness indie filmmakers are still making good crime thrillers because we don't see enough of these. I believe a movie needs 4 things to be good, good story, good performances, look good and sound good. Bluff naiks all 4. Congratulations on a good film. I won't get into the depths of the story as I don't want to ruin anything for the audience. Basically if you like crime thrillers there's a good chance you'll like this one!

I watched this as it was mentioned in a news article. I definitely wanted to watch it especially as I had read about the director making this film in a budget of £1500! The film is well made and keeps the viewer engaged with elements of suspense. The characters are well thought out and the roles excellently executed. A must watch!!

Here's an Indie that rises beyond its mark. Indies are where the true artform lies. And Bluff rises to the greatest challenge that independent filmmakers face.

Indies are a tough nut to crack. Indies are a special breed. Bluff pulverizes the game. Sheikh Shahnawaz kills it here.

He's an ultimate one-man-band filmmaker like Robert Rodriguez. Both did it all and were mighty successful at it with what they had.

The story is an intelligent and compelling journey. Well-depicted characters that carry the production through without over-doing it.

Bluff has that 'feel' that most mega-cost films miss out on. That feel is captured perfectly. The photography is spot on in capturing the film's soul.

Bluff is a believable film with believable characters, I give it the ultimate nod. Sheikh is gonna go places!

I'd pay to see it more than once. Bluff is a must-have in any collection. I'd love to see what he will do in the future.

Give Bluff your eyes and ears. It's a damn good ride!

Ok, so I do not want to spoil this but I want to tell you everything at the same time. This is the kind of film you are so excited that you found first, so you can tell all your friends they must watch it! Then, when they do, you all sit around and discuss everything and see if each of you caught everything. It's SO SO SO GOOD!!! The story is heartbreaking, and I simply can't say enough about the acting! These guys are amazing, they all need recognition for their performances. Bravo to the director and crew!

Bluff explores the dark underbelly of the UK and introduces us to themes of friendship and loss through its powerful story telling and ofcourse, rising star cast.

I was reeled in and blown away by some of the character development in this film, the very real themes that Bluff explores evoke the feeling of familiarality with the characters that we meet, and all that they go through.

Ultimately found myself unable to call the direction the ending would take but it did not let down! Good luck trying to call how the story ends!

Surprised, impressed and *most importantly*, I was left feeling something about the story I had just watched - what I look for in a 5/5 film is its ability to evoke emotion and Bluff blew that out the park. Definitely one to watch.

I came across this film by accident. The story is about a policeman, Detective Sargeant Danny Miller (Danny) who goes undercover in an attempt to discover how the drug scene works in a certain area.

He starts off slow at first, befriending other local addicts who introduce him to local dealers. Danny is after more than this however, and manages to gain the trust of one of the bigger dealers.

At this point, things start to go downhill. Danny has had to 'cross the line' to gain peoples trust. And its a slippery slope. So it becomes a battle about the law, morals and betrayal.

What is good about the film is the small intricacies that make this film seem very real. The acting is mixed, ranging from excellent to quite poor depending on the character. But this does not negatively impact the film.

I don't know if there is any truth to this story, but the director either has experience of the underground street dealing that most don't witness or he has had a lot of help with research.

The film almost feels as though its been made with a personal passion. The director understands why people take drugs, sells drugs and the impact pil8ce are having on the 'war on drugs'.

Wow, what a movie, so suspenseful and exciting. The acting is great, the mise en cine is amazing! I hadn't heard of the writer or director but took a chance as I like undercover cop movies and this one is brilliant.

Despite this being an indie film, this had every ingredient to make it feel as if I was watching and listening to a Nolan film.

Congratulations to Sheik on producing his first feature film, you're writing and passion for storytelling really shone in this and I cant wait to see what you do next.

A great crime thriller. I was thoroughly engaged and if you like a lot of twists and turns, check this movie out. The cinematography was great, as was the direction and acting. This is a unique indie film, in the fact that it feels like a studio picture, but still focuses enough on the characters to drive a connection with the audience.

Across the board, everything about this film is done at a very high level. The direction, writing, cinematography, and score are all excellent. I would be hard-pressed to name one actor as the best in the group, because they are uniformly terrific. As a connoisseur of indie films, I have seen more than a few that fail to deliver the goods. That is not the case with This film. "Bluff" distinctly shows how a dedicated independent film maker can craft a film that competes with the big boys (and girls). For those who enjoy crime/drama films, this is certainly one to add to your viewing list.

Thoroughly enjoyed this film. Top Direction, amazing cinematography and class acting.

From beginning to end this film was edge of the seat.

The style of cinematography is entertaining and was a great watch.