This coming-of-age drama sees Zac Efron play an aspiring DJ/producer in the hedonistic and tacky Los Angeles EDM scene.
Considering the debauched party setting, We Are Your Friends is a surprisingly po-faced, earnest tale of a kid from the wrong side of the tracks making the big time - told in an uninspiring, unoriginal manner we've seen loads of times before.
It's mostly a dull cinematic experience, but there are some laughs to be had - both intentional and accidental - and some of the party bits might get your head bopping with a smile on your face.
The best thing about this mediocre movie is undoubtedly the eye candy. Zac Efron spends a lot of the time topless and sweaty, whether or not he's doing serious facial expressions while pretending to twiddle knobs or push laptop keys.
The love interest is Emily Ratajkowski, currently one of the world's hottest women. The camerawork accentuates her beauty and when she and Efron finally hook up, it's part of a sweet as dream-come-true sequence in Las Vegas; the standout moment of the film.
We Are Your Friends isn't a good film, I give it two stars. But the similarly themed Human Traffic is a five star modern classic.
It was released in New Zealand in 2000, at the height of this country's dance music scene. Every club on K Rd played trance, house, hard house or drum and bass, and massive UK superclubs regularly toured and played at venues like the St James Theatre, the Ellerslie Racecourse and the Town Hall.
Human Traffic did a brilliant job of encapsulating why people were so into that scene and did it with an insatiable, energetic style that made for a hugely entertaining film.
While a lot of the comedy has dated poorly, as a cultural artifact and an ode to having massive weekends with your mates, Human Traffic is still a pleasure to watch. It also has a diverse cast and passes the Bechdel test, an even rarer achievement in the '90s than it is now.
Forget Groove, Go, It's All Gone Pete Tong, Rolling and definitely forget We Are Your Friends - for the best film about rave culture, look no further than Human Traffic.
I joined the Paul Henry show to discuss these two films.
Watch the video.
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