Bank of Dave 2: Is The Loan Ranger Netflix film based on a true story?

• Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger is out on Netflix now.
• Both films are based on the life of Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick.
• But has it stayed close to true life - or have the filmmakers taken creative licence?

Netflix fans can finally watch the Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger. The highly anticipated sequel dropped on the streaming service this morning.

The first film was labelled as ‘true-ish’ and was based on the real experiences of Dave Fishwick, who set up the Burnley Savings and Loans after the 2007-08 financial crisis. Manchester Evening News reported back in 2023 that while it is based on true experiences, the filmmakers took a few creative licences with the story - as part of the transition to the world of film.

The role of Def Leopard in the film is a bit of creative liberty, with the band not actually performing a fund-raising concert at Turf Moor in real life. According to Radio Times, the character of Sir Charles Denbigh was invented for the film.

The sequel hit the streamer today (January 10) and once again Netflix is billing Bank of Dave 2 as a ‘true-ish’ story. The synopsis reads: “Two years after founding Britain’s very first community bank, Dave Fishwick takes on an even more dangerous and formidable opponent than the big banks – Payday Loan Companies.

“Dave recruits Jessica, an American investigative reporter, and Oliver, a local Citizen’s Advice counsellor, to his cause. Together they embark on a journey that will eventually take them to the United States and help bring down an entire industry of predatory corporations.”

The sequel is inspired by Dave Fishwick’s real life investigation into payday loans, which was released on Channel 4 in 2014 as Dave: Loan Ranger. In the documentary he set out on a quest to “find the pay day lenders so he can pay them what they’re owed and transfer people’s debts to his bank to let them rebuild their lives”, according to the production company Finestripe.

Are you planning to watch Bank of Dave 2 this weekend? Let me know what you think about it by email: [email protected].