Dancehall Queen (1995)

Dancehall Queen arrives straight from the gritty streets of Kingston, Jamaica, delivering a fairy tale about a humble pushcart girl who rises through the ranks to become the island’s illustrious Dancehall Queen, earning herself both respect and a better life along the way.

It is an absolute gas from beginning to end, complete with delightfully rough-edged acting and relentlessly in-your-face direction.

The soundtrack is packed with sizzling dancehall hits, while the dance sequences themselves are nothing short of astounding for viewers unfamiliar with the antics and sheer athletic chaos that erupt nightly inside a typical Kingston dancehall. The whole thing possesses a wonderfully low-budget charm, often feeling closer to an enthusiastic amateur production than a polished studio film — and that is very much part of its appeal.

One of the movie’s greatest joys, aside from the colourful setting and gloriously over-the-top performances, is the utterly mind-boggling Jamaican patois, which will be virtually unintelligible to anyone unfamiliar with the lingo. It will probably come as an enormous relief to many viewers that English subtitles are available, though honestly the film is considerably more entertaining without them.

The movie also offers an interesting glimpse into the fractured family structures that are sadly so prevalent throughout parts of the Caribbean, where women are frequently left raising children with little meaningful support from absentee fathers.

As a cinematic experience, it is marvellously refreshing after enduring mainstream Hollywood productions 90% of the time. Dancehall Queen feels like a huge blast of delightful fresh air blowing straight in from the reggae-soaked streets of Kingston, with Bob Marley blasting from battered speakers on street corners while life remains permanently irie.

The story follows the near-destitute existence of Marcia, a hardworking street vendor struggling endlessly just to survive. One day she spots the reigning Dancehall Queen stepping out of a flashy sports car looking decidedly rough around the edges and suddenly realises that perhaps she, too, could take a shot at becoming a dancehall superstar — earning herself a handsome income and a serious amount of street respect in the process.

And so we follow Marcia as she adopts an alter ego who becomes known as “The Mystery Lady.” The Mystery Lady soon arrives on the scene and quickly learns the ropes, leaving Kingston’s male population drooling helplessly over her hypnotic dancehall moves.

Meanwhile, Marcia finds herself walking a dangerous tightrope between two murderous villains with whom she has become increasingly entangled. Everything builds toward a glorious showdown during the finals of the Dancehall Queen competition itself, hosted by none other than Beenie Man in what appears to be the single most important event in the entire nation of Jamaica.

It is brilliant fun from beginning to end and absolutely worthy of repeated viewings.

Please be warned, however, not to attempt any of the dancehall manoeuvres witnessed throughout the movie, as they appear to be extraordinarily hazardous to one’s long-term spinal health.

Great fun, hysterical dancehall scenes, fabulous music, a terrific villain, and a brilliant setting — honestly, what more could one reasonably ask from a single movie?

We are now officially lusting after more Jamaican cinema, and Rockers has merely compounded the addiction with its even greater brilliance.

And yes, General Degree’s “I Go Hold You Tonight” remains an outrageously hot, rollicking number.

Ouch.