‘Loved Up’: the British drama that inspired ‘Human Traffic’
Justin Kerrigan’s 1999 comedy-drama Human Traffic is one of the most important pieces of British cinema to have ever come out of the United Kingdom. Starring John Simm, Danny Dyer, Lorraine Pilkington, Shaun Parkes and Nicola Reynolds, the film is a homage to the youth and rave culture of the 1990s.
With an unapologetic approach to the hedonistic drug use that defined the decade and a celebration of the dance music that was pumped out of club sound systems across the country, Human Traffic accurately captures the euphoric highs and dangerous lows of the escapism provided by ecstasy. Viewers are fully immersed in the narrative as a group of friends make their way for a night out while navigating the difficulties of modern life. Human Traffic is one of a kind, for sure, but even such an enigmatic film has its influences. An earlier British movie by the name of Loved Up had inspired Kerrigan.
Loved Up made its mark on the popular culture of the 1990s by unflinchingly approaching the youth and rave cultures of the decade with admirable honesty. Released in 1995, directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Ian Hart, Lena Headey, Charlie Creed-Miles and Danny Dyer, the movie was originally meant to be a school information film about the dangers of taking ecstasy.
Narratively, Loved Up focuses on a young man by the name of Tom who invites his new younger girlfriend, Sarah, into the drug-fuelled rave world, where she feels sheltered and protected from the difficulties of her home and family life. As the pair are caught in the whirlwind of drug use, romance and dance music, Sarah’s personal life catches up with her with disastrous consequences, while the reality of Tom’s mundane existence amid the dancefloor euphoria is fully revealed.
Best of all with Loved Up is the authenticity with which 1990s youth and rave culture is portrayed, capturing in detail the hedonism and joy of the dance music scene with all its bass-thumping brilliance, sweaty dance floors and urban environments. Lena Heady also gave an excellent performance that made her a serious force on the British acting scene.
Danny Dyer, who had a small role in the film and would later appear in Human Traffic, admitted that Justin Kerrigan had been inspired by Loved Up. The highs and lows of ecstasy and the 1990s rave scene are given full attention in both movies.
Human Traffic remains one of the greatest British films of all time, a classic coming-of-age tale that simultaneously glorifies and warns of drug use, as well as looking into the intricacies of sexual relationships and friendships. But perhaps it might not have possessed such brilliance if it weren’t for its predecessor, Loved Up.
