Beats

Two working-class youths form a bond as they try to break free from their humdrum lives in this comedy drama set in Scotland in 1994. Against a backdrop of rave culture and the recently introduced Criminal Justice Act, the coming-of-age tale sees Johnno (Cristian Ortega) and Spanner (Lorn Macdonald) plot behind the backs of their families to escape to the countryside for an illegal all-night party, in the hope that an adrenaline rush of optimism and generally positive vibes will be the springboard towards a brighter future. The suburban new-town setting and spiky humour initially give the impression of an expletive-heavy Gregory's Girl with a frantic dance music soundtrack, but director Brian Welsh (In Our Name, TV's Black Mirror) also makes several salient points about the impact of hard-line political policies on generational pop culture. However, the serious subtext never distracts from an often heart-warming film about friendship and rebellious rites of passage, confidently played out by its two rascally but lovable leads.