Beats
GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Crime, Music
RUNTIME: 101 minutes
DIRECTOR: Brian Welsh
PRODUCER: Camilla Bray
WRITTEN BY: Keiran Hurley & Brian Welsh
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Ben Kracun
EDITOR: Robin Hill
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Victor Molero
CAST: Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Laura Fraser, Brian Ferguson, Ross Mann, Gemma Mcelhinney, Amy Manson, and Rachel Jackson.
AWARDS: Winner British Independent Film Award - Best Cinematography | Winner British Independent Film Award - Best Sound
★★★★ - Empire Magazine
"Beats is a truly heartfelt rites-of-passage tale — an immersive, intoxicating portrayal of the rave scene at its peak.”
★★★★ - Time Out
"A hands-in-the-air joyride through the acid house rave set.”
“‘Beats’ hits all the right notes”
★★★★ – London Evening Standard
“Funny, as well as emotionally rewarding.”
★★★★ – The Mail On Sunday (UK)
“Authentic, funny and touching”
★★★★ – Observer
"A terrific little film”
★★★★ – Radio Times
“Heart-warming”
★★★★ – The Sun (UK)
“Full of tip-top performances that perfectly capture the transition into adulthood”
★★★★ – Times (UK)
1994, a small town in central Scotland.
Best mates Johnno and Spanner share a deep bond. Now on the cusp of adulthood, life is destined to take them in different directions – Johnno’s family are moving him to a new town and a better life, leaving Spanner behind to face a precarious future. But this summer is going to be different for them, and for the country.
The explosion of the free party scene and the largest counter-cultural youth movement in recent history is happening across the UK. In pursuit of adventure and escape, the boys head out on one last night together to an illegal rave. Stealing cash from Spanner’s older brother, under the hazy stewardship of pirate radio DJ D-Man, the boys journey into an underworld of anarchy, freedom and a full-on collision with the forces of law and order.
A universal coming of age story, set to a soundtrack as eclectic and electrifying as the scene it gave birth to, BEATS is a story for our time – of friendship, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth.