Capturing the rave scene in Scotland in its dying days, Brian Welsh’s spirited Beats is a slice-of-life portrait of the kids that won’t go down without a fight. It’s 1994, and best friends Johnno (Cristian Ortega) and Spanner (Lorne Macdonald) are on the phone chatting excitedly about the new EDM track they’ve discovered. “I waited two days on the radio to tape it,” Spanner says, immediately evoking a nostalgic romanticism when music was discovered like treasure.

full review on much ado about cinema

Loved this. It really hit the nostalgic button for me. I was about 16 or 17 when the whole rave scene was big and I enjoyed the odd boogie around those times. I had one of my dance tunes I made on a big Scottish show called stepping out which was on a  big Scottish radio station back in the day. This put me back to those exciting times and the old foot was tapping away. Glad those days are behind me but they were fun at the time. This film did a great job of transporting me back and it was a fine story about friendship and growing up a bit. If you get the chance to see it DO IT! Especially if you have fond memories of the old dance scene in the early nineties.

I love when this just drops everything and becomes 2001: A Rave Oddessey

was not expecting this to be the gayest film of the year so far but there we go!

one of the prettiest films i've seen in a while. i'm not usually a fan of b+w, but it worked so well. the characters were believable and it felt so good - almost like a scottish version of this is england '90. the tripping scenes were really cool and didn't feel too out of place. i also really enjoyed the relationship between Spanner and Johnno, however i did think it was gonna go a different direction at one point. this is the kind of film i'd like to make (don't let this poster deceive you, it is beautiful).

What a stunner! Brian Welsh (director of "Black Mirror: The Entire History of You") does what "Spike Island" (pish) really failed to do - bring love, vitality and a political background to a specific time and culture in music from the not too distant past.

With rich, sumptuous black and white photography and truly likeable characters with dialogue that flies effortlessly from the screen, this was a genuine joy to behold, with a big shiny spotlight on friendship that's just so warm and delightful in the telling.

Shame this ode to the dying days of the original explosion of rave culture (it should be said that it didn't actually die out as the film suggests) didn't get a bigger release but you should try and find it!

(And you don't have to be into the music to love this either - in the same way you don't have to have a penchant for heroin to love Trainspotting - just saying!)

If only I were 5 to 10 years older. This could’ve been my life.

The entire time I felt like I was watching a modern adaptation of some unwritten Shakespeare play and then the credits roll and I see that this was indeed based on a play, so, that makes sense. Quite special and charming. The leads are fantastic. Broke my heart a little with how unflinchingly honest it was at times.

Resisted the urge to turn on subtitles. Scottish is a foreign language 🙃

Not all the plot threads get tied up by the end but the rave scene is pure joy. I'd go to a club like that.

"Wee fucknugget!"

My favorite of the year! Welsh did such an amazing job with conveing those intense and beautiful feelings of being at a proper rave.

(Inflight viewing)

"Your fear of looking stupid is holding you back".

Imagine this review in a heavy scottish accent.
Johnno and Spanner, two friends from completely differenent backgrounds, staying together in ruff times.
An antagonistic government trying to take away their music.
Here you have a nice film.
The two, as well as all the other acters/characters, come together very well to entertain me despite me not liking the music genre that the film is about. Exciting moments, tense moments, sad and happy moments, and all that in the amazing sound of epic accent.
I don't feel the black and white being necersarry. For one scene it's quite amazing, other then that brings nothing that nice to it, other then seeming to scream hey, I'm artsy!
Still, a nice experience in a nice film about a nice experience!

Mi manca l’MD...

P.S. Soderbergh produttore > Soderbergh regista.