Director: Brian Welsh
Writer: Brian Welsh (Screenplay) Kieran Hurley (Play)
Starring: Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Laura Fraser, Brian Ferguson, Ross Mann, Amy Manson
Plot: Two teenage boys in Scotland in 1994, best friends with no control over their lives, risk everything to attend an illegal rave, hoping for the best night of their boring lives.
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Beats starts as we meet two school friends Johnno (Ortega) and Spanner (Macdonald) who have come from different backgrounds, as Johnno’s family are looking to keep the pair away. The pair love rave music and know the connections to find parties, with the pair about to be separated by Johnno’s family moving away.
The pair look to find one of the most exclusive illegal raves in the town, giving them a chance to have some entertainment in their lives for the first time in years before going their own ways.
Thoughts on Beats
Thoughts – Beats is a coming-of-age story between two teenagers who know that their lives are going to be changing forever after this week, with the final big escape rave being their chance to let loose before they need to take things more seriously. It uses the ideas of how the government have always seen loud music as a sign of rebellious behavior despite it being about having fun and not causing problems. This gets reflected in how the authority side of the world gets pleasure from stopping it happening, asking the question about what is important between the two sides. The performances in the film give us a nature look into this world and the people involved, which will make everything have an extra authentic feel to it.
Final Thoughts – Beats is the ravers coming-of-age tell, that will see the fans of the music enjoy the adventure, showing the importance of friendship.