Rocks

Fifteen year old Shola comes home in east London to find her mother gone and her small brother left to her. Knowing that social services will separate them, she chooses to hide it, and from that day she is both child and parent. Sarah Gavron developed the script with her cast, drawn largely from young people found in schools, and none of the dialogue sounds written. The talk inside the friendship group is the liveliest thing in the film. Bukky Bakray leads. Child protection is shown as neither rescue nor enemy; the film simply makes clear why Shola is afraid of it. Who it is for: viewers who like British youth drama and performance built out of improvisation. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a clean resolution, which is not on offer.