Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)

This fresh and fluid take on teen sexuality in an age of online exhibitionism sees a pretty but insecure schoolgirl (the Bardot-esque Marilyn Lima) kick-start a series of orgies, fall out with a pal (Daisy Broom) in the process and ultimately enter into a tender romance with a troubled contemporary (Lorenzo Lefèbvre), which blossoms amidst the sordid shenanigans. Inspired by a news story, French writer/director Eva Husson flits capriciously between her protagonists, credibly capturing the maelstrom of youth. She interrogates the intensity and fragility of bonds, the game-playing, desperation to impress and impact of domestic difficulties and peer pressure, even if her conclusions feel a touch trite. It's an exploration of recklessness, yet this debut helmer refuses to judge behaviour which has both physical and digital repercussions. Frank and fairly explicit, the events nevertheless unfold through a prism of sensitivity and compassion, with Husson sidestepping the sensationalism suggested by the provocative title and subject matter.