Written and directed by David Campion, it’s Christmas Eve and a group of friends prepare to attend a village rave. However, dynamics are challenged when substances and feelings collide. Starring: Charles Craddock, Jessica Pearce, Conchita Mbuyambo, Georgia Macleod, Jason Rosato, Laura Hall, Ella Dunlop and James Douglas-Quarcoopome.

Creating a story of dulling the mundanity of everyday while living in a small town with very little to do seems to forever remain relevant, or perhaps arguably is more relevant than ever. The access to information now makes us have more reason than ever to want to shut out the world, so it’s easy to imagine how these friends find themselves stumbling into a messy festive evening. Although this hedonistic adventure feels on the tame side, it never quite manages to go fully off the rails.

You can feel its intention to explore that need of people in their twenties, stuck in a rut, wanting to find some form of escape. They have a classic dynamic of conflicts, unfinished romantic business, resentment and jealousy. It’s very reminiscent of Skins, but the characters aren’t quite giving us enough to get invested in. There’s no inherently likable personality to lead the way or a sense of humour to balance things out. They’re all flawed in a relatable manner but missing other qualities to round them out. Creating the problem that without extra layers or an unpredictable nature, it can begin to wane watching a bunch of drunk people do exactly what drunk people always do.

The directorial style from David Campion can also struggle to sit still, to give its bigger moments of emotion the chance to land or develop. However, Campion also doesn’t dive in headfirst and try to go for something chaotic or manic, it lands somewhere in the middle and doesn’t quite do itself justice. Similar could be said of the performances, some scenes are hitting the right buttons and then other moments are trying too hard. Although James Douglas-Quarcoopome adds in a nice dose of charm and comedy, it’s a shame his character doesn’t have a bigger part to play.

Straight Through Crew follows a group of friends on a bender, looking to escape their everyday life while reflecting and wading into the issues of their past. It’s down to earth and relatable but can often feel like it’s actively trying to inject tension rather than letting it arise naturally. You can see its intentions but the drama doesn’t quite hit the right, organic notes and the partying feels restrained. It’s stuck in the middle of two worlds, not fully committing to either and sadly undercutting itself in the process.

Verdict: ✯✯✯ | 6/10