15-year-old deep-thinking Welsh schoolboy Oliver Tate struggles to initiate and maintain a relationship with Jordana, his devilish, dark-haired classmate at their Swansea high school. As his parents' marriage begins to fall apart, similar problems arise in his relationship with Jordana.
Direction
Ayoade's debut: every frame a mood board for sad boys.
Score
Alex Turner soundtrack = Oliver's internal monologue set to music.
Cinematography
16mm grain and artful ugliness; Swansea never looked so deliberately sad.
Director
Richard Ayoade
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'Supermarine' book Oliver reads doesn't exist; Ayoade invented its pretentious cover entirely.
Released the same year as 'The Art of Getting By' and 'The Myth of the American Sleepover' — 2011 was peak mopey indie teen cinema, and this was the only one with actual jokes.
GB
