A group of rogue DJs broadcasts rock and roll from a ship off the coast of
​Great Britain, at a time when playing rock music on the radio was illegal.

COMEDY

Pirate Radio (2009)

Written and Directed by Richard Curtis

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Rhys Darby, Jack Davenport,
​Tom Brooke, Chris O'Dowd, Ralph Brown, Emma Thompson

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Connor Eyzaguirre

January 11, 2020

8/10

Pirate Radio is a highly enjoyable movie with an unbelievable soundtrack of popular 60's rock and pop tunes. It's inspired by true events, namely the restrictive ban on rock and pop radio in the mid 60's and the off-brand DJs who sought to bring popular music to the youthful masses. Sporting an incredible cast of British character actors and the always reliable Philip Seymour Hoffman, it's a wonder Pirate Radio didn't garner more attention back in 2009. In fact, it didn't even make its money back.

When young Carl (Sturridge) is sent to the Rock Radio ship by his mother (Thompson) to learn from his godfather Quentin (Nighy), Carl becomes a misfit friend of the Rock Radio crew. The misanthropic Count (Hoffman), the womanizing Gavin (Ifans), the arrogant Dave (Frost), and the goofy but lovable Angus (Darby) among others. The cast makes this movie so exciting and charming to watch, and the soundtrack just makes rock fans like myself pump their fists. I was surprised at how dramatic this movie is too, using the camaraderie among the crew to fuel several emotional moments. Though I will admit the few female characters that are in the movie are written only as, well to put it bluntly, whores. They either betray our heroes or throw themselves at them. They could've been stronger.

Pirate Radio is a British gem that deserves way more attention and has no doubt found a second wind as a cult favorite. It teaches you about a lost bit of modern history regarding the BBC's ban on popular music and how it affected the youth of the times, who just wanted to enjoy themselves. I mean, for the soundtrack alone, this film is worth checking out.