There’s something of the authentic period charm of Good Vibrations about photographer turned director Elaine Constantine’s evocation of 70s Lancashire, where retro American records and Dexedrine-driven dancing offer a much-needed escape from the humdrum realities of teenage life. Elliot James Langridge and Josh Whitehouse are up-and-coming DJs John and Matt who dream of travelling Stateside in search of rare vintage vinyl; Antonia Thomas is the smart soulgirl who fires young John’s imagination and sends him twirling through time and space.
The highs and lows of the narrative may be predictably hyperbolic (rushes, busts, tragedy, etc), but Constantine catches the energy of the dancehall with aplomb, transporting her audiences from the empty floors of dour neighbourhood youth clubs to the throng of the Wigan Casino with urgent ease. Steve Coogan and Ricky Tomlinson add sly cameo support. Definitely worth a spin.