Billie Piper stars in her own directorial debut, a dark and funny, no-holds-barred anti-romcom about a modern woman’s struggles in work and love.

Mandy (Billie Piper) is chaotic, confrontational and vulnerable. But so are her estranged parents (David Thewlis, Kerry Fox) and needy new partner (Leo Bill). The fallout from these ever-colliding characters is combustible – this is Piper’s scorched-earth exploration of self-worth in a time of reclaimed feminism and contentious politics. The results are both hilarious and grim, often at the same time, puncturing the oft-believed preconception that we can ‘have it all’.

A brave and bold debut, Rare Beasts explores the minefield of contemporary careers and relationships that has rarely been depicted with such frankness, intimacy and originality.

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