The Business

Set in 1980s London, The Business follows Frankie, a young man desperate to escape a life defined by fear and rough streets. After a violent confrontation frees him from his mother's abusive partner, Frankie heads for Spain hoping for a fresh start, only to fall into a different kind of danger. He lands work delivering a package to Charlie, a suave London gangster who sees potential in him. Charlie takes Frankie on as his driver and trusted aide, pulling him into a world of fast cars and nightlife. The glamour masks a brutal reality and the price of ambition soon becomes clear. Yet the glamour proves illusory as Frankie discovers the true cost of the life.

Directed by Nick Love, The Business hit screens in 2005 as a British crime thriller. It's built from Love's own screenplay rather than a pre existing novel, pairing Danny Dyer with a tight supporting cast, and a brisk, kinetic urban look that keeps the pace tight.

Reception was mixed, with audiences leaning into its no nonsense look at ambition and loyalty. The film mixes glitz with grit, portraying London's criminal underworld as seductive yet costly, while staking its edge on brisk dialogue and hard edged performances, especially from Dyer who anchors the central arc, hinting at a deeper social critique beneath the flash.

Within Nick Love's wave of urban crime cinema, The Business helped define a gritty entrepreneurial archetype for 2000s Brit gangland stories. It reinforced Danny Dyer's tough on screen persona and cemented a stylish yet brutal mood that many later Brit thrillers reference.

Box office figures are not provided in the available data, so a reliable worldwide gross cannot be cited here. The lack of numbers leaves room for interpretation about its commercial impact, but the film's lasting presence is more cultural than financial.