Broken

This modest but often very moving British film marks the feature debut of theatre director Rufus Norris. Newcomer Eloise Laurence stars as Skunk, an 11-year-old girl living in a suburban cul-de-sac with her single father (Tim Roth), older brother (Bill Milner) and their au pair (Zana Marjanovic). Skunk's life is normal and, except for her diabetes, uncomplicated, until her upstart teenage neighbours the Oswalds declare war on a young, emotionally damaged man (Robert Emms) who lives opposite. A vicious lie gets out of hand, kick-starting a chain of events that results in violence and murder. It's based on a novel that itself was inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird, but though it has the elements of lurid melodrama, it is the quiet moments that define Norris's atmospheric and elegant film, making for an unusual coming-of-age story set against the disconnect of today's "broken" Britain. Laurence in particular is dynamic as Norris's young muse, a guileless screen presence who effortlessly charms us back to childhood.