Richard Dormer as Gerry Cliff in Blue Lights

Good Vibrations is set during the Troubles in 1970s Belfast and charts the real-life story of punk rock fan and record store owner Terri Hooley

ooking for a Northern Irish drama to sink your teeth into this week? The BBC has added Good Vibrations to its roster of films – and it could be one to add to your watchlist.

Originally released in 2013, the biopic stars Richard Dormer, who plays the beloved Gerry Cliff in the BBC crime series Blue Lights, alongside Line of Duty‘s Adrian Dunbar and Doctor Who‘s Jodie Whittaker.

Director Lisa Barros D'Sa, actors Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, director Glenn Leyburn and actor Terri Hooley © Ian Gavan
Director Lisa Barros D’Sa, actors Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, director Glenn Leyburn and actor Terri Hooley

The film is based on the true story of Terri Hooley, a Northern Irish businessman who became a key figure in the punk rock scene.

Set during the Troubles in 1970s Belfast, the drama explores how Terri helped establish bands such as The Undertones, The Outcasts, Rudi and Protex during an unstable time for the city.

There have been a plethora of Irish and Northern Irish dramas landing on the BBC in recent months, from Blue Lights and The Walsh Sisters to Blackshore and Nowhere Special, and Good Vibrations makes another excellent addition. Keep reading to find out more about the film, which is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.

What is Good Vibrations about?

The plot centres on the real-life story of Terri Hooley, described as a “radical, rebel and music lover” living through the “bloody conflict” of the Troubles in 1970s Belfast.

Richard plays Terri Hooley© Alamy Stock Photo
Richard plays Terri Hooley

The synopsis reads: “As all his friends take sides and take up arms, Terri opens a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe and calls it ‘Good Vibrations’. Through it he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city’s nascent underground punk scene.

“Galvanising the young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an alternative Ulster, to bring his city back to life.”

Who stars in Good Vibrations?

Richard Dormer (Blue Lights) leads the film as Terri Hooley, while Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) plays Ruth and Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) takes on the role of a gang leader.

The cast also includes JOdie Whittaker and © Alamy Stock Photo
The cast also includes Jodie Whittaker and Adrian Dunbar

Other cast members include Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Dylan Moran (Black Books) and Killian Scott (Dublin Murders).

What have viewers said about Good Vibrations?

The film proved a hit with critics, earning a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie is available to watch on BBC iPlayer© Alamy Stock Photo
The movie is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

In its four-star review, The Guardian wrote: “This biopic of Belfast’s godfather of punk is terrific, particularly in its scenes of noisy, pogoing epiphany,” while TimeOut deemed it “An impassioned, funny and monumentally likable myth-making comedy.”

Empire added: “As this joyous romp shows, Hooley’s blind commitment rubbed off in unexpected and spectacular ways.”