A film starring Michelle Keegan, which has been slammed for its 'vile stereotypes', has become a huge hit on Netflix.
Strangeways Here We Come sees a group of council-estate residents take action against a terrifying loan shark in Manchester.
The film, directed by Chris Green, has been panned by critics with one branding it an "awful Salford-set Shameless rip-off" with "vile stereotypes".
But viewers seem to disagree as it's now at number nine on Netflix's most-watched list.
Defending the film, which was made in 2018, Chris said: " “I think [the critics] had this idea that I was this middle-class filmmaker coming into the area to exploit the working class.
“This was made by someone who lived there. Growing up on Spike Island we saw a lot of violence. I can honestly say that 90 per cent of what you see in that film is true - its stuff I’ve seen, stuff I’ve experienced or know about. Apart from the murder, obviously.
“When [the film] came out, it was like putting Salford on the map,” he said. “At the end of the day, all those unsavoury characters who are a bit brutal, are part of a community. When the chips are down, like the Salford communities I remember, they all come together to help each other out," he told the Manchester Evening News.
Ex-Corrie actress Michelle plays murderous university student Demi in the film, which also includes Misfits actor Lauren Socha and This Is England's Chanel Cresswell, who plays Coleen Rooney in Channel 4's dramatisation of the Wagatha Christie trial.
The film's plot was originally derived from the director's own experiences as a postman in Salford and was produced with a micro-budget of just £200k.
Responding to the flick's success, Chris said he was pleased for everyone involved and while conceding the film hadn't made him a millionaire, pointed out he was doing a job he loved, telling stories that 'inspired' him.
Giving their view of Strangeways Here We Come, one IMDB user recently commented: “This is one of the better British comedy movies I’ve seen in recent times. It was pretty good. It had an interesting plot that we haven't actually seen before."
While another said: "I honestly thought this was a fly-on-the-wall documentary. So true to life!"
