Spike Island review

An indie band travel to Spike Island to see the Stone Roses

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Where Shane Meadows’ Stone Roses doc Made Of Stone was all about the band, Mat Whitecross’ coming-of-ager is all about the fans – specifically teenager Tits (Elliott Tittensor) and his pals’ attempts to snag tickets to the Roses’ legendary 1990 Spike Island gig.

The plot frays long before the boys take a wrong turn en route to the Cheshire venue, and there are some horribly clunky dialogue-to-song segues.

But the cast add uplift (including Lesley Manville as an unlikely film-stealer), while Whitecross’ stylized flourishes – and a great soundtrack – highlight how music can shape the landscape of young lives.

Like the Roses’ career, this baggy love-in is saggy but also energised and endearing.

More info

Available platformsMovie
Less
Freelance writer

Kevin Harley is a freelance journalist with bylines at Total Film, Radio Times, The List, and others, specializing in film and music coverage. He can most commonly be found writing movie reviews and previews at GamesRadar+.