Film Review: Pirates

Radio DJ-turned director Reggie Yates makes his big screen debut with Pirates this weekend, an admirable yet unbalanced piece that is elevated by the talent of its leads, writes Ryan Hogg.

The film tracks the three stars, Battersea-raised Eliot Edusah (Cappo), Reda Elazouar (Kidda) and Jordan Peters from Peckham (Two Tonne) through New Year’s Eve 1999, as they try to make their way from north to South London to the Twice as Nice NYE club night.

Despite this tried and tested plot device of the road trip, the film makes a few frustrating turns along the way as Yates sets up promising themes that fail to feature prominently in the film.

The primary shortfall comes in Garage, a key inspiration for Yates, but one that barely makes a mark in the film beyond the soundtrack, even as it begins with Cappo, Kidda and Two Tonne operating their pirate garage radio station.

Indeed, the film as it transpired could have conceivably occurred among any teens trying to get into a party, with the protagonists’ main objective failing to incorporate their DJing or give room for garage to blossom as its own character.

It speaks to disorganisation that undercuts the soul of the movie.

For every enjoyable scene there is a feeling that things don’t mesh, that a thread fails to run through the story.

There are highlights as the boys try to order plantain in a Caribbean takeaway and steal clothes to get into Twice as Nice, but it is too frequently undercut by sharp scenic and thematic transitions.

Yet there is enough to suggest Yates will build on this debut and forge a path through directing, hopefully with more confidence to emphasise his story and the things that influenced it.

But where the film wobbles on plot and a clunky script, it ploughs through on the performances of its cast.

Despite his stalky imposing frame, Peters plays Two Tonne with a vulnerability that is charming and tragic.

Across each scene he is able to portray the clown, the lovestruck teen, and the betrayed, heartbroken friend. Each time he shows the pathos of a major screen presence.

The task of Pirates was perhaps harder for Edusah, whose background in serious dramatic turns in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe and Sam Mendes’ 1917 threatened to be lost in translation in a comedic act.

Yet he does not shy away from that past, offering Cappo as a grounding presence that allows the story to weave through his telling glances and conflicted outlooks toward a satisfying character arc.

Elazouar, meanwhile, rounds off that trio’s arc with a light wit that recalls Kevin Hart and completes a strong chemistry among the three young leads that is difficult to achieve.

In these three stars, there is promise of what might come down the line, and a reminder that people of colour from London can elevate a comedy script where in the past they have too frequently been trusted only with grit.

Their performances alone are worth a watch as a taster in what looks like the start of long, successful careers.

But ultimately, Pirates carries an improvisational feel that leaves the viewer confused about the motivations and emotions of its cast members, and ultimately feeling empty handed as the credits roll.

Pirates is in cinemas now.