DIRECTOR: BERNHARD PUCHER / SCREENPLAY: BERNHARD PUCHER, LUKE FOSTER / STARRING: GEORGIA HIRST, DANNY KIRRANE, EVE CONNOLLY, MANPREET BAMBRA, DAVE JOHNS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
An aspiring journalist who also happens to be an introvert and suffers from germaphobia must battle crazed, mutant ravers for the hot scoop in Bernhard Pucher’s quirky horror-comedy Ravers.
The story follows Becky (played superbly by Vikings star Georgia Hirst), a budding journalist who, after being told by her editor to “get her hands dirty” to get the story, ventures into the world of underground raving courtesy of her cousin Ozzy (Kirrane). However, when she gets to the party that is taking place in an abandoned energy drink facility, the mixture of the drink and hardcore drugs causes the patrons to go berserk and begin mutating into a whole new beast.
These particular films are nothing new but what sets Ravers apart from the rest of the crowd is the focus on not only some killer practical effects that add a massive deal to the zaniness of the concept but also the brilliant growth of its lead character Becky and that, largely, comes down to the winning combination of writing and performance.
Hirst took this character and fully invested her time to develop a respectable take on those of us who suffer from OCD and anxiety and it paid dividends on allowing the audience to emotionally connect with her as the lead. From the subtle hints of her using wipes when drinking from beer bottles to eventually coming to terms with her issues in order to survive – her journey as a character is something we don’t always get to see in this genre. Another stand-out aspect that directly relates to Becky is the fact that her sexuality is addressed in a respectful and appropriate manner – something that a lot of films, not just independent films, should take note of.
As previously mentioned the special effects for the mutants, from the basic exaggerated veins on their bodies to literal eyes hanging out of skulls, Pucher has crafted a wacky, balls-to-the-wall blood-soaked comedy that, once it gets going, doesn’t stop and although a lot of the premise or delivery isn’t new and some of the dialogue fails to land, he and his team ran with the concept to make it highly enjoyable and, with a stellar central performance and superb effects, covers overs the cracks in the script and is absolutely worth a watch.
RAVERS is out now on VOD
