Ravers

When i was about 17 years old, i remember being invited to a rave party. And the guy who invited me was named Daniel, and he was in my class. Daniel ( not me, but the other Daniel ) was a true raver fan, but not only that, he was a huge fan of the artist Prince as well. Before he invited me he was going to rave partys quite often, because this music was big in the 90´s. I remember seeing Daniel putting on rave music by our school locker, and started doing his crazy rave dance moves. It was like seeing someone who had overdosed on caffeine, and a lot of colorful pills, doing dance moves that no one have ever seen before, as if he learned them from another planet. So in 1995 i got to experience what a rave party was like. I remember how people danced like maniacs, and you could tell a lot of them were on some kind of drug, probably LSD or something similar. I actually only stayed for a few hours, because this just was not for me. I have always been a metal fan, so raving was clearly not my cup of tea. I do appreciate beeing invited of course, because you got to see a different world than i was used to see. Rave music have managed to survive, and is still filling night clubs worldwide. When i think of films that include rave music, i instantly think about the British- Irish independent film Human Traffic. Released in 1999, this film tells the story of friends around the age of 20, who experience a hard party club life in Wales, Cardiff, during a weekend. Human Traffic manage to capture the rave culture scene in a effective way, but also manage to tell the story of young people who dream away to a better life and the issues they struggle with. Director Justin Kerrigan clearly wanted to tell a story from the rave party scene, that a lot of people who live for the rave community will recognize themselves in. This is a film Worth checking out, if you want to see how the rave culture was back in the 90´s. I read that there is a sequel to Human Traffic coming, so that will be interesting to check out. I recently came across a film on VOD called Ravers, a film that seemed to combined rave party with zombie influences. The idea sounds like fun, the question is, have Ravers more to offer than i expected, or is this a total disaster from start to finish ?

Becky ( Georgia Hirst ) is a germaphobic reporter, Her boss ( Natasha Henstridge ) tell her that she needs to write something much better, to become a good reporter. When Becky´s ex-girlfriend complains how boring she is, it´s the final straw and she decides to go with her cousin Ozzy to an illegal rave at an abandoned energy-drink factory. The rave party may start of a bit crazy, but once the people mix the drugs, and the energy drinks, they are about to turn this party to a complete different level.

If you thought this film would only include drugs and rave dance, then i must inform you that there is actually more to be found here. How about some kind of drug overdosed mutant zombies as well, after having the energy drinks that were made with wrong ingredients. Yes indeed, Ravers is the kind of film that reminded me of my west coast summers at my grandparents house. We had stawberry cake, went fishing and relaxing in the sun. And that relaxing feeling comes back after watching Ravers. Everyone is on drugs, the music is insane, and people are even having sex in the industrial rooms. You could probably say that this is the rave film that would be a perfect remake of the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets, with a lot more practical effects included of course. But there is especially one scene in this film, that is really funny. And that is when the zombie mutated ravers want music, when the DJ table is destroyed, and they manage to connect in a radio, and it plays Toto and their classic song Africa. It becomes very clear that rave mutated zombies are not fans of the band Toto, and they get really pissed off. This scene is one of the highlights of this film. When it comes to characters, i feel that this film is very divided. The best characters are actually the female cast, and especially the actors Georgia Hirst ( that i guarantee you will recognize from the TV series Vikings ) and Manpreet Bambra ( who some of you might recognize from the Netflix series Free Rein ). The scenes that they have together show that they have a chemistry together on screen, and it becomes even more clear when they kiss on the dance floor. It is like time stands still, and you can feel their attraction to each other. The practical effects are fun in this film, and you do get some gory scenes towards the end. The only negative i can say is that i would have liked to see actress Natasha Henstridge more in this film. Director Bernard Pucher have made a film that will be appreciated both by the rave community, but also by The Biscuit Appreciation Society. You can tell he knows how a rave horror film should look like. One thing is clear, if more rave party´s looks like this one, i might consder going back. 

Rating: DDD