This film is part of Rentals

Nocturnal 15 rating

A teenage girl forms a mysterious relationship with an older man in this atmospheric debut from director Nathalie Biancheri.

Drama 2019 84 mins

Director: Nathalie Biancheri

Overview

16-year-old schoolgirl Laurie lives alone with her single mother. Something of an outsider, the aspiring athlete struggles to connect with the other girls on her track team, distancing herself with a quietly combative demeanour. But Laurie can’t deflect the attention of Pete, a handyman in his 30s performing some odd jobs at her school. After a couple of curt interactions, Laurie eventually agrees to hang out with her new admirer and almost immediately a connection is apparent. As they spend more time together, a unique bond grows, yet Pete’s intentions remain ambiguous. Until one day the truth emerges.

Rife with simmering emotional tension, Nathalie Biancheri’s beautifully controlled character study boasts remarkably natural performances from Lauren Coe and Cosmo Jarvis, whose playful banter conceals something more serious lurking beneath the surface.