For those Nottingham societies that pride themselves on their crazy initiations and wild Crisis antics – I’m afraid to say that a new bar has been set. Decadence, excess and enough wealth to make you feel like even more of a student pauper than you already do – meet the Riot Club.
An adaptation of Laura Wade’s hit West End play Posh, the film follows two Oxford Freshers, Alistair played by Sam Claflin (sigh), and Miles played by Max Irons (drool) as they get invited to join Oxford’s elite in the exclusive Riot Club. Rivals from the start despite their similar toffish backgrounds, tension between the two characters builds throughout. Miles, a typical Hugh Grant Mr Nice Guy character, quickly charms us with his good looks and easy smile, while devilishly handsome Alistair has a haughty manner with a darker undercurrent that makes for a very interesting dynamic. The cast also includes Douglas Booth as club member Harry Villes (yes the extremely hot one from BBC’s Great Expectations) and Holliday Grainger as Lauren, the down-to-Earth girlfriend of Miles.
As the boys join the group of the supposedly “best and brightest” that Oxford has to offer, hilarious scenes ensue for the greater part of the film including a truly vomit inducing initiation sequence that is both hilarious and horrifying in equal measure. This atmosphere of ‘lads on tour’ is great fun for the main, with extra ‘rah’ added for comedic effect which made for some hilarious scenes and one liners, though at times I felt the exaggeration of poshness went too far and became unbelievable.
However, the extreme hedonism that is at first amusing takes a dark twist during the group’s last infamous dinner party. The ugly side of privilege rears its head and what starts as arrogant spoilt behaviour turns into violence, vandalism and sexual harassment which leads to a nail biting shocking conclusion. As the film was inspired by an actual Oxford society, the Bullingdon Club, whose past members include Boris Johnson and David Cameron among other high ranking politicians, this final part is a harsh shock back to reality compared to earlier scenes and takes an uncomfortable look at our class system and the attitudes it can create.
Quite literally a riot from start to finish with a talented (and extremely attractive) cast, this film is definitely worth a watch. Laugh-out-loud in some scenes and horrifying in others it offers a range of emotions that I was surprised to find in a seat at the Savoy. Besides with Douglas Booth ‘bringing sexy back’ (in spades) – how can you say no?
Watch the trailer!
Edited by Mackenzie Orrock