This is a beautiful coming-of-age film. It’s very close to biting Wes Anderson’s style (camerawork, editing, quirky dialogue, dark & melancholic undertones), but it doesn’t feel like an exact copy. The smart decisions made by the writing and strong creative decisions elevate the material a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it uses some of the classic tropes associated with coming-of-age films, but it twists them in interesting ways as the film goes along. The dialogue is stylized (e.g. no teenager actually talks like the main character of this movie) while still feeling emotionally truthful and authentic. The acting’s pretty solid across the board, maybe Paddy Considine should’ve dialed it back a little as he feels a bit too cartoonish. I also could’ve done without the narration, it’s too much of an exposition device, however I do recognize that it simultaneously adds character. Technically the film’s pretty great. Its cinematography and editing are beautiful, it captures the feeling of Wales very well. As for the music, I already knew I liked these songs being a fan of Alex Turner’s work, so I kinda wish they used more of it. All in all, this is unlikely to completely blow you away, but it’s really good at what it does.

7.5/10