24 Hour Party People (2002)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A biographical comedy drama explores the vibrant and chaotic Manchester music scene from 1976 to 1992 through the eyes of Factory Records's founder.
The story
In 1976, television presenter Tony Wilson witnesses the Sex Pistols perform in Manchester, inspiring him to launch a series of punk rock shows. He subsequently founds Factory Records, signing the band Joy Division as his first act. The narrative follows Wilson's career as he navigates the evolution of the local music scene, from the brooding punk era of the late 1970s through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture of the early 1990s. The film captures the rise of iconic artists and the birth of the 'Madchester' scene while highlighting the business struggles and cultural shifts surrounding the label.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1976, television presenter Tony Wilson is inspired by a Sex Pistols performance to start a weekly punk rock show in Manchester, featuring the newly formed Joy Division led by Ian Curtis. Wilson founds Factory Records, signing Joy Division and hiring producer Martin Hannett to record them. After Curtis's death in 1980, the band renames themselves New Order and records the hit "Blue Monday." Wilson opens the Haçienda nightclub, which becomes a hub for the ecstasy-fuelled rave culture and the 'Madchester' scene, signing the Happy Mondays in the process. However, Factory Records faces financial ruin due to high production costs and the Happy Mondays' frontman, Shaun Ryder, spending recording money on drugs. When a deal to sell the label to London Records falls through because Wilson reveals the company owns no contracts or catalogue, the business is rendered worthless. The film concludes with Wilson having a vision of God on the roof of the Haçienda, who assures him he has earned a place in history.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Michael Winterbottom
- Writers
- Frank Cottrell-Boyce · writer
- Cast and characters
- Steve Coogan · Tony Wilson; John Thomson · Charles (Granada TV producer); Shirley Henderson · Lindsay Wilson (Tony's first wife); Paddy Considine · Rob Gretton (Joy Division/New Order manager); Lennie James · Alan Erasmus (co-founder of Factory); Andy Serkis · Martin Hannett (producer); Sean Harris · Ian Curtis (Joy Division singer); Mark Windows · Johnny Rotten; John Simm · Bernard Sumner (Joy Division/New Order guitarist); Ralf Little · Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order bassist); Tim Horrocks · Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order drummer); Danny Cunningham · Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays singer)
- Genres
- biographical; comedy; drama
- Themes
- nostalgia; music scene evolution; unreliable narration
- Tone and mood
- documentary style; cinéma vérité; postmodern
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; musical; based on real events; collage
- Source material / true-story basis
- combination of real events, rumours, urban legends and the imaginings of the scriptwriter
- Content notes
- sex
- Reception
- The film received universal acclaim, with a Metacritic score of 85 and positive reviews from critics like Roger Ebert and Empire. It was also ranked as one of the best films of the 21st century by The Guardian in 2019.
- Production trivia
- The film features a scene where Howard Devoto turns to the camera to say he doesn't remember a scene of him having sex.; The Haçienda nightclub interior was rebuilt to its exact proportions in a Manchester warehouse.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…