The early scenes showing Ally’s chaotic life on the streets on London burst with energy and adrenaline
First-time feature director Ibrahim Miiro hits the ground running with this urban drama set in London; for the first half-hour, at least, it’s a film bursting with energy and adrenaline. Hannah Laresa Smith plays homeless teenager Ally who has recently run away from foster care. In the early scenes showing her chaotic street life, the camera pushes right in, claustrophobically close. Ally sleeps in the cold under a bridge by a canal and washes in public toilets. She earns a few quid as a courier for drug dealer Carol (Sallyann Fellowes), a nasty bully who fakes a mum-like warmth. I watched with an icy sense of dread, my hands clammy. Ally has no idea how at risk she is.