Review | Hunter in the Blue Side of Manchester film review: rites-of-passage story misses an open goal

What should have been a film touching on the struggles of a young Muslim in the north of England turns out to be a dull tale of a man starting his first job

The film, adapted from a journalist’s experiences on Manchester City’s in-house media team, clocks in at 90 minutes, and no extra time is needed

Reading Time:2 minutes

Adipati Dolken stars in Hunter in the Blue Side of Manchester on Netflix, directed by Rako Prijanto and co-starring Ganindra Bimo.

Published: 8:45pm, 23 Jul 2020Updated: 7:12pm, 24 Jul 2020

1/5 stars

The true story of a young Muslim immigrant, who lands his dream job at one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, feels perfect for a feel-good rites-of-passage movie. However, Hunter in the Blue Side of Manchester, a new Indonesian drama now streaming on Netflix, shoots well wide of the target.

Adapted from journalist Hanif Thamrin’s memoir detailing his experiences on Manchester City’s in-house media team in the mid-2010s, Rako Prijanto’s sluggish retelling misses a number of open goals.

For a film so focused on one of the English Premier League’s top clubs at the very moment they were asserting their dominance, it is jarring to note that almost nothing specific is said about City’s numerous triumphs, nor the impact this had on the people of Manchester.

The film fails to address the club’s long-standing rivalry with neighbours Manchester United, regardless of what the film’s title might suggest. Most notable, however, is the way Prijanto’s film deftly sidesteps anything relating to Hanif’s experiences as a young Muslim attempting to assimilate to life in northwest England.

What audiences are treated to instead is a thinly plotted, culturally anaemic tale of a young man starting his first proper job. Hanif (Adipati Dolken) graduates from Goldsmith’s University in London, leaves behind his best friend, Pringga (Ganindra Bimo), and heads north, where he must contend with a pushy boss (Tania Staite), and a somewhat frosty reception from his new colleagues, but very little else.