Ellen

When we first meet 14-year-old Ellen (Penny Dreadful’s Jessica Barden, in a mesmerising performance), she’s swearing, smoking and swaggering about like she owns the place.

When we first meet 14-year-old Ellen (Penny Dreadful's Jessica Barden, in a mesmerising performance), she's swearing, smoking and swaggering about like she owns the place

When we first meet 14-year-old Ellen (Penny Dreadful’s Jessica Barden, in a mesmerising performance), she’s swearing, smoking and swaggering about like she owns the place. But as this heartbreaking feature-length drama unfolds, Ellen’s vulnerability, sadness and loneliness are revealed.

Living on a bleak estate with her neglectful mum (Jaime Winstone) and ailing grandmother, and with her dad out of the picture, broken Ellen finds some solace in new friend Kayla – but forces out of her control threaten to shatter her fragile happiness.

A truly unforgettable film.