Human Traffic

If you mentioned John Simm to anyone who has heard of him, they will probably most closely associate him with Life On Mars. But over 10 years ago, after his 1995 movie breakout role in Boston Kickout, he starred in the 1999 independent cult movie hit Human Traffic, a film about, life, love, partying and heavy indulgence.

Written and directed by Justin Kerrigan, Human Traffic stars John Simm, Lorraine Pilkington, Shaun Parkes, Danny Dyer and Nicola Reynolds. The film revolves around 5 close friends as they enjoy a drink-and-drug-fuelled Friday night out in Cardiff. It explores the connections, relationships and conflicts that arise and develop over the course of the weekend. There's so many things to enjoy in this film, so let's not waste any time.

The start of the film introduces our central characters, and is narrated by Jip (Simm), the main character. He's depressed with his mundane, uneventful job, and the fact that he has had little sexual success as of late.
Koop (Parkes) is a record store retailer who is increasingly jealous of his promiscuous girlfriend Nina (Reynolds). She is annoyed because, after screwing up a college interview, she is forced to work in a fast food outlet where she is constantly harassed by her slimy boss.
Lulu (Pilkington) has become tired of relationships with men since the last 3 she dated cheated on her.
Moff (Dyer), the newest member of the group, lives at home with his oppressive dad, and makes money for the weekend by selling small amounts of cannabis.

The films follows their day-to-day lives, including Nina quitting her job, Lulu dumping her 3rd philandering boyfriend, Jip being approached by one of the women he 'failed to satisfy', Koop visiting his dad in a mental hospital, and Moff being hassled by his dad for being unemployed for such a long time.

When the weekend finally arrives, the group meet up in a nearby bar, bring Nina's brother Lee, so he can try Ecstasy for the first time. They head to a club called The Asylum, where they all 'drop' E, and enjoy the music. After the club, they all head to a massive house party, where events take an unusual and unfortunate turn after everyone is hit with a drug 'come down'.

This movie is like a journey, told through the eyes of an idealistic, fun-lover who just wants to go out with his friends and embrace the excess and exuberance of youth. It's a film that someone manages to encapsulate the spirit and feelings of an entire generation: Rebellion, alienation, angst, and the love of freedom and hedonism, kind of a like a movie rendition of 'The Catcher In The Rye'. We get such a great insight into the lives of these people, and how they just try to get a long and enjoy life, even when things never seem to be in their favour. On top of that, the movie has the music, the atmosphere, the vibe, all the elements that culminate in what 1 critic called "The last great film of the nineties".