Absolutely loved every second somehow so vibrant yet in black and white. Love, laughter and great music felt connected to everyone involved throughout and left me wanting to rave the night away. Almost perfect.

Comparisons to 'Trainspotting (1996)' may be easy, but they're also perhaps the fastest way of describing what this flick feels like. Make no mistake, that's a compliment. However, while 'Beats (2019)' seems steeped in the same nostalgic, alternate-coming-of-age 'fight against the system', it certainly isn't a copy of what's come before and the comparison only goes so far. That's because this deep, ironically vibrant piece takes its own cues and follows its own conceit straight to the very core, using rave culture to explore the unexpressed, somewhat inexpressible desires of its 'boxed-in' youth. In this way, its theming almost feels closer to that of 'T2: Trainspotting (2017)', as it tries to capture a forcibly failing friendship and the realisation that things will never be the same as they once were. This comparison also allows my earlier use of the term 'nostalgia' to hold a little more weight; Boyle's most recent entry looks back on the nineties in the same, albeit more overt, way that this inherently does. That's because, for all the flick's intentions of being an in-the-moment experience, it's still unavoidably a period piece and, as such, has to look back by its very nature. It does this remarkably well though, with its slight rose-tint seeming purposeful. It feels, in a way, almost like a memory. If it were to have actually released in the nineties, it would have been a different beast altogether. Perhaps then it wouldn't have seemed similar to 'Trainspotting (1996)' at all (that's the last time I'll compare the two, I promise). The piece sets itself up sort of as a slice-of-life drama, except there's immediately a driving force in the form of its central relationship. It also doesn't waste time teasing us with its focal rave. Its mix of drama and comedy becomes clear even faster. By propelling the narrative forward with a pretty fast pace, it keeps things incredibly engaging. It feels focused and full of life. It's really entertaining, to boot. It also features quite a bit of political commentary throughout, even before its premise really gets underway. This usually takes the form of televised Tony Blair speeches or protest marches taking aim at the 'Criminal Justice and Public Order Act' (essentially a 'rave ban') and it sets the scene wonderfully, both in terms of the general setting and the central conflict. The whole piece makes good use of juxtaposition and irony to really sell the reasoning behind the protest rave, putting you firmly on the side of the would-be ravers - even if they're only really going to have a good time (because, why shouldn't that be allowed?) It's not your typical 'teenage angst'-type stuff and is a good backdrop for the feature's confident but familiar friendship dynamic. This is compelling stuff, even if it hits every single beat you'd expect, which ends on a suitably bittersweet note. It's refreshingly portrayed with an unembarrassed closeness all too often balked at, as well. The feature, as a whole, is really enjoyable. It does, however, slow down considerably in its final act. When the protest rave finally starts, it just keeps going and is hampered, significantly, by an industrial-inspired, MDMA-mimicking visual sequence that's far too long and far too flashy (in the sense that it really should have come with a photo-sensitive warning). It breaks immersion, is hard to watch and, ultimately, feels pointless, an avant-garde attempt at conveying the joy of the rave that pales in comparison to the more straight-forward stuff we've just seen. After this, the film never really recovers - at least, not fully. It doesn't manage to get back to the genuine heights it had previously reached, even though it does finish off its story in an effective, almost wistful way. Generally, though, this is a great movie. If its third-act were just a little tighter, it would be nearly perfect. Still, it's fun, realistic and rather charming. It's also a little under-seen at the moment. I'd certainly recommend it. 7/10

Dark, miserable and intimidatingly frightening. But enough about Scotland, let's dive into the electronic grunge-fest that is Beats. A contemporary drama that will unfairly be compared to 'Trainspotting' just because of its location and political undertone. A comparison that should be disregarded almost immediately, as both are fine examples of character driven drama that showcase Scottish talent (other than a Deep Fried Mars Bar...). In the summer of 1994, where criminal acts are slowly being put into position, two unlikely best friends spend one last night together at an illegal rave.

The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act attempted to ban large gatherings with a specific genre of music being played out loud. "Characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats". It was outlined that the nature of the music caused abhorrent behaviour amongst the ravers who listened to it. And so, with this in mind, the youths that appreciated the "rave wave" felt they were being oppressed. A political revolution that provides an underbelly for this Scottish town and Welsh's film. It may not be as outrageous as 'Braveheart's "Freedom!" stance, but it mellows the fragile melody between the two lead characters, giving them a common cause. The want to revolt.

Welsh's artistic direction fortunately does not glorify the rave scene in any way, as he shifts the narrative focus to policing officials on multiple occasions. However the main purpose of the story is the depiction of the central friendship. It's a peculiar bond, one that Welsh seemingly forces upon us unnaturally within the wobbly first act. Yet once their motives and differences are distinguished, I realised that their "bromance" is something I never knew I wanted. Spanner and Johnno exhumed true friendship in the spite of living different and precarious lives. One lives in poverty with his abusive brother, whilst the other is repressed by a family wanting to be perfect. It bounces off the reason why many raved during the hype of it all. To let go. Release.

A massive element to Welsh's drama is the music. The "choons" as it were. Surprisingly, as most will not know, my kind of music. Electronic, dance and trance. I was far too young to be swept in the rave culture (approximately a 1 year old at the time),but I understood it's purpose. Welsh's depiction of the intricately built up rave within the third act was quite simply euphoric. Introducing colours amongst a monochrome filter to represent the emotive release that these oppressed individuals have felt. An entire five minute sequence of psychedelic visuals, showing both construction and destruction, accompanied by the banging bass of trance music. Sublime. Started to become hypnotised myself.

Massive applause must be given to Macdonald. In his first feature film, straight out of drama school, he was sensational and exhumed a huge range of emotions. Honestly, he is the repetitive beat to this narrative, and his name is certainly one to look out for in the future. My only other criticism would be with the stereotypical "look where they are now" credit sequence, all too common in coming-of-age dramas. Completely unnecessary for this story, and somewhat undermined the intelligent approach that preceded it.

Putting aside these minor reservations, Beats was banging. Absolutely banging. An exhilarating character drama with an engrossing political movement that will have you tapping you feat to repetitive beats. If it's available near you, go and watch it!