Summaries

Caught between a forbidden romance and the expectations of his friends, aspiring DJ Cole Carter attempts to find the path in life that leads to fame and fortune.

Cole is an aspiring DJ who spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James, who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James' much younger girlfriend, Sophie. With Cole's forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.—Warner Bros.

Cole Carter (Zac Efron), a former track star, college dropout, and struggling 23-year-old DJ in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene, dreams of becoming a major record producer. He constantly reminds himself that his plan to rise to the top consists of three things: a laptop, some talent, and one track. Cole finally books a gig to DJ at a local nightclub, where he meets the headliner, a once-innovative DJ, James Reed (Wes Bentley). James invites Cole to a party where Cole starts to hallucinate because a joint they shared contained Phencyclidine (PCP). The morning after, Cole wakes up at James' house where he is introduced to Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski), James' girlfriend and personal assistant, who voluntarily drives him home to his shack. Later, James calls Cole to serve as a DJ at his house party, a paid gig. James sees potential in Cole and takes him as his student. After listening to Cole's original song, James criticizes Cole for imitating other well-known producers, like Skrillex, and he openly suggests to use organic sounds for an original vibe. The two then co-create a song together using that technique, along with vocals from Sophie, which is met with success at the local nightclub. Cole and his friends head to Las Vegas for a music festival, where he strays away from his group to meet up with Sophie, who James ditched. Sophie then gives Cole MDMA, and they quickly fall for each other..

Details

Keywords
  • group of friends
  • edm
  • dance music
  • san fernando valley california
  • aspiring dj
Genres
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • Music
Release date Aug 25, 2015
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) R
Countries of origin United States United Kingdom France
Language English
Filming locations Los Angeles, California, USA
Production companies StudioCanal RatPac Entertainment Anton

Box office

Budget $2000000
Gross US & Canada $3591417
Opening weekend US & Canada $1767308
Gross worldwide $10348732

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 36m
Color Color
Sound mix Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital
Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Synopsis

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