Rose Plays Julie

Brilliantly switching into and out of melodrama, this thickly plotted but economically written film follows veterinary student Rose (Ann Skelly) as she tries to track down her mother (Orla Brady) and then her father (Aidan Gillen). The twist is that, when she finds them, Rose chooses to conceal her true identity from them both. Gillen also featured in 2013's Mister John, the previous film by Irish writing/directing duo Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, and another dark tale of substituted identity. Here, he takes a back seat to Skelly, who puts in a powerful but subtle performance as the slight, breathy woman who might be more dangerous than she looks. The whole film is hugely understated in a way that recalls Scandi-noir, but with an eclectic and innovative style that's all its own. Quiet, intense, chilling and thrilling, this is a masterpiece of dread atmospherics.