Perfect 10 (15)

Scottish director Eva Riley makes a promising debut with this comingof-age drama about a vulnerable teenage gymnast (newcomer Frankie Box) whose life with her failure of a father takes an intriguing turn with the arrival of the half-brother she never knew she had (Alfie Deegan). Although the precariousness of her protagonist’s situation points towards a typically British cinematic tale of woe, Riley doesn’t give in to those clichés. She flirts with them a little, particularly when it comes to Leigh’s confusion over her intensifying bond with her half-sibling, but she also subverts them, using the the film’s Brighton-in-summer setting to illuminate the transformative effect of having an ally.

Curzon/bfi Player