On the two movies versus the current rating and USA version.
First off, do not believe the reviews these movies are at worst 3-4 (if you hate the genre) and at best 8'ish (if you praise it wildly).
I do not care for criminals, I care for movies and the elements of creating one while watching them.
The Rise of the Krays (2015) 6-7/10
The Fall of the Krays (2016) 5-6/10
If you do like crime/action/thriller they are ever so slightly above the average crime movie.
The ratings are low and atleast 1 point below (each) where it will land (is my educated assessment). They have the classical cinematography that is slightly warm with alot of settings in classical british hotel and bars. With the dressed up chavs this makes for an alot more realistic feeling that Legends.
Oh right and the difference in age between established criminals that has trailed off and new ones is fresh (not always used) and good to see.
Regarding the realism of the story I don't have much to say as it's nothing I've followed previously (might have seen previous movies around them, but nothing that directly comes to mind). So forgive ignorance regarding the factual sides of events in the story.
For me these two definitively beat the Hollywood version (Legend 2015). Somehow it seems like European movies tend to get alot harsher criticism on IMDb while movies from USA gets buffed ratings..? I would gladly see this in the cinema while I would not go to the cinema and watch Legends (2015) which for me is over the top. Hollywood makes other types of movies better, they should focus on those areas (raw action, action-comedy, american crime, Sci-Fi etc).
As far as I'm concerned it might (probably due to the similarity) be the same writer/script (informally) that has been used.
Ignorance is only a bliss if you haven't reached awareness.
My imdb posts are getting altered.