Traveller Review

Reviewed by David Savage

Starring: Billy Cook, David Essex, Kerrie Hayes
Directed by: Benjamin Jones
Rating: 15
Running Time: 103 minutes (approx.)
Release Date: 6 December

Traveller is an action packed story of violence, murder and corruption in the traveller (gypsy) community and stars David Essex and his son Billy Cook. Filmed on a genuine traveller site with real travellers as extras.

Owen McBride (Billy Cook) is a half gypsy and half Gorgio (non-gypsy) who doesn’t seem to fit into either way of life. While having a drink in a pub a gunman enters and takes aim at a complete stranger and he pushes him out of the way saving his life. He awakens in hospital handcuffed to the bed and under police guard. After managing to escape his life has completely changed and he is now on the run from violent gangsters and the police so he takes refuse in the local traveller site among his dead father’s people where he gets a job helping with the horses from Blackburn (David Essex).

His life, and that of anyone he knows, is now in danger from gangsters and he forms a strange alliance with a young female police officer (Kerrie Hayes) in order to save his life and get the gangsters off his back.

Overall, Traveller is a good gangster film filled with bare knuckle fighting, murder, corruption, attitudes towards the gypsy community from the police and community at large and the gypsy way of life and their traditions. While I didn’t think Billy Cook was a great actor the story and content were good making it a worthwhile film to watch, and I’m glad I did (I wasn’t sure about when I saw David Essex in it as I’m not a fan). The use of a real traveller site and real travellers as extras in the film gave it authenticity.

Well worth seeing.

Rating: 4/5

Available to buy from Amazon here.