Comparison between the Remixed DVD from Cinema Club in the UK and the 4K Blu-ray from BFI in the UK, the latter being identical in terms of editing to the UK DVD, German DVD and Blu-ray

44 differences, including 20 alternative sequences

• 15 exclusive scenes in the remixed version with a total duration of 7:46 min (not including credits & fade-ins)
• 19 exclusive scenes in the original version with a total duration of 7:40 min

Releases of the British cult film HUMAN TRAFFIC

Anyone who grew up with electronic music in the 90s (or even in the early 2000s) cannot ignore this film: Human Traffic by Justin Kerrigan from 1999 presents us with 48 hours in the life of a British clique that immerses itself in the local raver scene over the weekend. The cast includes John Simm (Life on Mars), Danny Dyer (The Football Factory, Severance), Andrew Lincoln (Walking Dead) and, in brief guest appearances, DJ legend Carl Cox and Howard “Mr. Nice” Marks.

The ups and downs (paranoia!) surrounding a drugged out night on ecstasy and, more importantly, the typical worries of the ~20-year-old protagonists are summed up in a wonderfully unconventional, but all the more tangible way. There are plenty of bizarre and entertaining scenes in the rather episodic plot, accompanied by a cult soundtrack that plays throughout. 

Drug use and sexual innuendo run throughout the entire plot, so the movie usually received '18' ratings in most countries, including the UK and Germany. The situation was different in the US, where over 10 minutes were removed for the R-rated release. In addition to a few suggestive moments, this mainly included some adjustments that covered up references that were “too” local/British for the domestic audience or bluntly expressed them in simpler English through re-dubbing. Another curious development was a British DVD re-release in 2003 as a “Remixed" Edition, which included some scenes with alternative material and new CGI effects, but unfortunately also replaced some of the iconic music tracks.

The 4K premiere was released in the UK on July 21, 2025. The British Film Institute (BFI) is once again presenting the uncensored original version, and a few new extras are also being offered. At least in the UK, there were even theatrical re-releases of the new 4K restoration shortly before. The remixed edition remains a relic of the DVD era and is not included here. However, the new release is reason enough for us to take a closer look at this chapter of the film.

The differences in the 'Remixed' edition on the British DVD

The film actually starts with crisp commentary directly into the camera from all the protagonists, which immediately clarifies the essential cornerstones of the plot. This is followed by the opening credits to Fatboy Slim's “Build It Up, Tear It Down” (YouTube), accompanied by a montage of celebrating techno disciples and wild street protests in black and white, creating a wonderfully ambivalent, vibrant atmosphere. In the remixed version, however, only a short comment by Danny Dyer's character Moff is placed at the beginning, followed by a newly edited opening credits sequence set to a techno track released after the film's theatrical release, in which all street protest shots have been replaced by additional (sometimes more home video-like) party shots. Only then does the introduction of all the characters follow, each introduced by cheap, pseudo-modern effects.

In these first few minutes, the remixed version has already lost hopelessly with many interested viewers and, above all, connoisseurs of the original version. Absolutely terrible decisions in the editing room that really make you shake your head in disbelief. At least this doesn't continue throughout the entire film: not all, but at least most of the music in later scenes has been retained, and not every scene has been “remixed” like this, not least because of the often long takes of conversations. Overall, it's the same film, and although the revised time/date inserts are unnecessary, they are tolerable.

What else sets this version apart are various removed and newly added scenes, adding up to the the same total running time in the end. Both versions offer a few minutes of exclusive material. Fans of the original version will also wonder why, for example, the climax of the new “national anthem” in the bar or Moff's uncertain and confused dealer scene in the first half were cut. There is no really clear line to be seen here, except perhaps (if you look at the cuts from street protests and the anthem) a tendency to reduce political and socially critical aspects in the remixed version.

Conversely, several scenes were added in which Jip (Simm) thinks about his mother. So there is a little more focus on the characters' problems, although his rather dark and emotional moments slow down the pace a little, and the difficult relationship was already presented sufficiently in the original version. The scene in which Jip reflects and talks to himself or two other Jips is touted in the DVD inlay as a “major CGI scene that we couldn't afford in the original film”. From today's perspective, the technical quality here doesn't really look that good, while the rest of the film still holds up perfectly fine today. So adding this CGI bit didn't really improve the film at all. The conversation between Lulu and Nina as strangers from an “alien planet” is also highlighted for its CGI, but well, that bit is not that spectacular in terms of both look and content either.

Also new are a few scenes with Nina's young brother Lee, but they all feel less “important” to the film. Among them is a conversation with director Justin Kerrigan as a jungle fan, which at least fits well with the wild atmosphere in the club. This was also edited together with the chopped-up sequence in which Andrew Lincoln's character Felix argues with a stoned guy. At least this bit can be seen as an example of why the whole thing is called “remixed.” All in all, it's interesting for fans to discover which additional scenes featuring their beloved characters (which, incidentally, are also not included in the deleted scenes of other releases!) can be found in this cut of the movie. However, the original version is still clearly the recommended way to watch this classic.

Running times are listed according to the following scheme
Remixed DVD in 25fps / 4K Blu-ray in 24fps