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We Are Your Friends hits theaters this weekend, bringing EDM — and the people who produce it — to the mainstream by way of cineplexes nationwide. Whether or not you consider the musical genre a true counterculture, one thing is certain: young people across the globe completely immerse themselves into the EDM scene, and those of previous generations view it as something completely distant and different. But it’s not the first time a film has shown a budding subculture and its intricate mores. Here are ten films from various ends of the counterculture that have attempted to provide an understanding of the underground throughout the last six decades.
'The Wild One' (1953)
Marlon Brando stars in the first movie to depict American motorcycle gangs — inspired by a real-life rally that got out of hand and erupted into violence in the late ’40s. Originally banned in England despite its critical acclaim in the United States, the film is now considered a classic particularly because of Brando’s iconic style, which would go on to be celebrated and parodied for decades afterward. [Where to stream The Wild One]
'Easy Rider' (1969)
Dennis Hopper’s classic anti-establishment film, co-starring (and co-written by) Peter Fonda, follows two bikers doing a drug run from the west coast through the American Southwest and to the South. A sort of reverse Western film, the pair (Wyatt and Billy) encounter a hippie-filled commune, pick up a drunk ACLU lawyer (played by Jack Nicholson), and have a LSD-fueled night during Mardi Gras in New Orleans with two local prostitutes. It is the movie that’s most associated with the ’60s hippie counterculture, and remains a film classic even today. [Where to stream Easy Rider]
'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song' (1971)
Melvin Van Peebles’ explosive indie film was a controversial and highly politicized movie, earning an X-rating upon its release for its unsimulated sex scenes and its glorified violence. Following a black man named Sweet Sweetback (played by Van Peebles) who reacts violently against The Man and the white establishment, the film ushered in the blaxploitation genre (while not being an exploitation film itself) and was required viewing for new members of the Black Panthers. [Where to stream Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song]
'Helter Skelter' (1976)
Not every hippie was a free-loving, acid-dropping, harmless youth who wanted to drop out of society to discover himself. Sometimes, as in the case of the infamous cult leader Charles Manson, he was a psychopath whose charisma influenced dozens of followers to do his bidding. This terrifying TV movie, based on the book by Vincent Bugliosi, follows the members of the Manson Family, who murdered actress Sharon Tate and several other Los Angelenos in 1969 in order to start a race war that would bring down the powers that be and allow Manson to reign supreme. [Where to stream Helter Skelter]
'Jubilee' (1977)
Derek Jarman’s cult classic depicts a time-traveling Queen Elizabeth I, who arrives in 1970s England to find her country a wasteland in the wake of riots and anarchy. With a musical score by Brian Eno, the film features real-life punk rockers, including Adam Ant, Nell Campbell, Jayne County (née Wayne County), The Slits, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. [Where to stream Jubilee]
'Quadrophenia' (1979)
Inspired by The Who’s 1973 rock opera, Quadrophenia follows the early ’60s conflicts between the Mods and the Rockers in the English seaside town of Brighton, all through the eyes of a disaffected scooter-riding mod named Jimmy Cooper, whose teen angst turns violent as he acts out against the authority figures who are stifling him. Keep an eye out for Sting as a popular Mod leader named Ace Face. [Where to stream Quadrophenia]
'Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains' (1982)
Diane Lane and Laura Dern star in this cult classic about a trio of teenage girls, led by Corinne Burns, who assemble together a garage rock band to express their dissatisfaction with the world around them. And when they hit the stage and realize their lack of talent, Corinne takes advantage of the platform to speak her mind — and soon changes her appearance to a punk-rock look to suit her outrageous personality. [Where to stream Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains]
'Wild Style' (1983)
Depicting the early days of hip-hop, this docu-drama follows a graffiti artist and a journalist making their way through New York City. More importantly, the film features hip-hop forefathers Fab Five Freddy, Grandmaster Flash, and the Cold Crush Brothers, among others, as bringing mainstream audiences the first cinematic look at MCing, graffiti art, and breakdancing. [Where to stream Wild Style]
'S.F.W.' (1994)
When he’s trapped in a convenience store during a televised hostage situation, Cliff (Stephen Dorff) becomes a slacker icon when he says to his captors, “So fucking what?” Soon he reaches the heights of fame — and his angry response to his now-dead captors has become a
'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994)
Terrence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Guy Pearce star as a transgender woman and her two drag queen pals, who travel across the Australian Outback in a tour bus that goes by the name Priscilla. An international cult classic, Priscilla isn’t the only movie to examine the worldwide popularity of drag culture, but it is perhaps the most touching, warmhearted depiction of the culture and its diverse forms. [Where to stream The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]
