Rent Beats (2019)
3.5 of 5 from 258 ratings
1h 41min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Scotland. 1994. As the Criminal Justice Bill clamps down on UK rave culture, 'Beats' tells the story of two best mates discovering music, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth. Set to a soundtrack as eclectic and electrifying as the scene it gave birth to, 'Beats' is the story of the jilted generation.
- Actors:
- Kimber Closson, Martin Donaghy, Brian Ferguson, Ryan Fletcher, Laura Fraser, Rachel Jackson, Neil Leiper, Lorn Macdonald, Kevin Mains, Ross Mann, Amy Manson, Stephen McCole, Gemma McElhinney, Cristian Ortega, Davian Thomas, Josh Whitelaw, Ben Bradley
- Directors:
- Brian Welsh
- Producers:
- Camilla Bray
- Writers:
- Kieran Hurley, Brian Welsh
- Studio:
- Altitude
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Steven Soderbergh
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Reviews (4) of Beats
Rave On - Beats review by RW
Though not the most original plot and it felt quite low budget at times I thought this was great and took me right back to 94. The rave scene in particular was really well done and was clearly created by people who were there. Ah my long lost youth!
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Superb British Drama - Beats review by GI
A superb British drama about a doomed friendship set in Scotland in the mid 1990s. The film is an evocation of the period when raves were the draw for disenchanted youth and the film sets itself at the time when the controversial Criminal Justice Bill was about to become law effectively banning raves but bizarrely insisting the music had to have a repetitive beat! There's a marvellous scene of riot police breaking up the rave at the centre of the story and beating their truncheons on riot shields in time with the rave music. At it's heart this a story of a bromance between Johnno (Cristian Ortega) and Spanner (Lorn MacDonald) who have bonded over their love of banging techno music. Their friendship is doomed as Johnno is moving to a new upmarket housing estate and Spanner is stuck in a seedy flat with his bullying criminal brother. The two risk all by going to an all night rave with a bunch of n'er do wells. There's an earthy humour and honesty to the film that reminded me of the films of Shane Meadows but also Northern Soul (2014) and the influence of Transporting (1996). Shot is bleak black and white to reflect the blandness of the friends lives with splashes of colour as they almost reach a state of nirvana and happiness at the rave. A clever film that is a real surprise and well worth checking out.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
BEATS WORKING - Beats review by AER
This got fantastic reviews when it was released on the cinema, and although this was an improvement on Dublin Oldskool and Weekender, it still didn't nail the zeitgeist for me. The characters weren't 'real' enough to grab me. However, the rave scenes were awesome and the big tunes they used were onpoint (from a few years earlier in some cases) - the trips nicely visualised. This is not the quintessential British dance party film we were promised though. Human Traffic (although very dated) is the closest to getting it right through my own experience, but I can't watch it now without cringing and dying of embarrassment. Not bad, but not the game changer the broadsheets and film style councils claimed it was (imo)....
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.