A 12-year-old girl’s fractured home life is transformed when she encounters a mysterious stranger seeking out his own family in Andrea Arnold’s striking tale.

Young Bailey feels caged in her Gravesend squat home. Reckless, wannabe drug dealer dad Bug plans to marry his new girlfriend. Older brother Hunter plots to elope with his underage partner. Meanwhile, across town, Bailey’s near-feral younger siblings are menaced by her mum’s new and violent lover. Small wonder she’s intrigued by the enigmatic Bird, a flighty free spirit searching for his own roots.

Arnold (Fish Tank, American Honey) once again displays her wondrous ability to infuse coming-of-age stories focused on marginalised lives with uncompromising grit and a sensual connection to nature. The pulsating soundtrack and lived-in performances (newcomer Adams is a standout) are perhaps expected. But Bird also sees Arnold pushing in new directions, incorporating not just social, but magical realism – an unexpectedly transformative addition that helps her wild, shapeshifting film soar.

---