Daphne

Director Peter Mackie Burns's low-budget debut feature is nicely made and played, if a little hard to get a handle on. Emily Beecham (TV's Into the Badlands) is magnetic as the title character, a struggling 30-something who can't connect, whether it's with her boss at the restaurant where she works, her various casual romantic partners or her ailing mum. But her bubble of self-absorption is burst when she witnesses a violent and traumatic event, and the world she's detached from comes crashing in around her. Daphne isn't the most likeable of characters, and the film, more slice-of-life than structured narrative, isn't best suited to those who like their movies with a beginning, a middle and an end that's neatly tied up in a pretty red ribbon. But take a chance, work with it, and this smart British drama will reward the effort.