The time is 1997, and the place is London where the Britpop music scene has just exploded. A young record label rep Steven (Nicholas Hoult) believes he is at the fore of the craze, and yet he still faces stiff competition in an increasingly stressful environment. He then desperately and hilariously does whatever cutthroat tactic it takes to get ahead in the industry, betraying and selling-out friend and colleague alike. Steven outrageously navigates the mercurial nature of the pop scene, moving from cocaine in Cannes at a music convention back to Britannia to publicize a band he signed for the convenience of his decadent trip.
Reminiscent of the inherent evil captured in anti-capitalist classics the likes of American Psycho and Fight Club and with a script detailed with savage energy and unfettered glee by original author John Niven, this adaptation sees actor Hoult and director Owen Harris perfectly capture the duplicities, hedonism and schadenfreude of the game.