Within the small subgenre of movies dealing with the 90s UK rave scene, no film is ever going to get close to Danny Boyle's _Trainspotting_. However, this is quite a good movie in its own right that certainly doesn't feel like a copy, in many ways I think this is closer to a film like _SLC Punk_. There's more of a hangout feel to this, in fact it takes quite a while to get going. I kinda appreciate that it takes its time, because the material and acting are strong enough to make us interested in these characters. It constantly finds fresh new ways into these worn out coming-of-age tropes through its subject matter and constant fourth wall breaking, even despite the general direction of the story and arcs being fairly predictable. Once the party gets going in the second half, it does a great job at recreating the rush of feelings that are experienced by these characters. The flashy camerawork, terrific song choices and creative editing (wasn't a fan of some of the pretentious glitchy cuts early on, but that's a minor nitpick) definitely help in this regard, this is some really inspired directing. On the contrary, there are more than a few moments where I thought the sound mix was questionable. Too often does the dialogue feel drowned out whenever score/music are being used, or the background sounds are way too loud (e.g. pub scene, conversation over the phone). It's very strange for a production that otherwise feels so professional. Still, this is easily recommended to those who are looking for a fun, eccentric coming-of-age film with authentic depiction of this particular subculture.

6.5/10