19. Human Traffic
Metrodome Distribution
The Drugs: Ecstasy, ketamine, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol Some readers may lament the fact that director Justin Kerrigan's Human Traffic introduced the world to Danny Dyer, but the fact remains that his performance as the drug-addled youth bouncing around Cardiff at the height of the "second summer of love" is full of energy and conviction, and for all its faults, energy and conviction are two things Human Traffic isn't lacking. Kerrigan uses the basic premise - a group of friends head out for a weekend of clubbing and debauchery - as a vehicle to cram in as many drug-related observations as he possibly can. From spliff politics and youthful escapism from the daily grind of boring jobs, to the "what goes up must come down" realisation at the end of a heavy weekend, where life isn't quite as great as it was at the peak of an E, Human Traffic paints the clubbing subculture with a multitude of brush strokes. It might be heavy on the cameos (from Howard Marks to Jo Brand) and light on plot but, as with Liman's Go, the frantic pacing and episodic structure ensure that it never drags its feet or outstays its welcome.