Film Review - Kat And The Band (2019)

Tipped by both the New York Post and London’s Evening Standard as “a name to watch out for”, Ella Hunt (Anna and the Apocalypse, Cold Feet) is joined by McFly/McBusted pop sensation and heartthrob, Dougie Poynter, in his first major acting role. Also starring are Katherine Kelly (Cheat, Mr Selfridge, Happy Valley, Coronation Street) along with Rufus Hound (Zapped, Trollied) and Jennifer Leong (Chimerica), while Badly Drawn Boy makes a special appearance, providing catchy tunes along with indie music favourites Some Velvet Morning.

Synopsis

Music obsessed Kat Malone has big dreams. She longs to be a professional band manager and, with contagious energy, succeeds in persuading struggling indie pop group, “Dollar Days” and its bassist to take a chance on her. There’s just one important detail she’s not telling them: She’s only 17 and still at school!

Review

I would say this film is definitely in the YA genre (Young Adult), it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon film that the younger generation will be drawn to.

Kat, a 17-year-old, A level student loves music, not enough to get higher than a C in her exams, but all the same, she loves to listen to the smaller bands, the bands playing the smaller circuits. Her passion is to be a band manage and sets her site on a local Indie band. She promises them higher social media rates, more gigs and interviews to get them well known.

Alex takes a gamble on Kat managing the band but her age and inexperience soon shines through as there are obstacles along the way to getting this band known and out there. A major one being the band has no idea she’s still a schoolgirl!

This being Dougie’s first major acting role he played it well, but part of me believes he should play it very well as he’s playing a band member working his way through the music scene – he has experiences to draw upon for that!

It would be interesting to see what the younger generation make of this film and if they can relate to Kat wanting to be a band manager/groupie/part of the inner circle. The younger me would have loved it.

The film does have a great soundtrack though.