Set in Brighton, a violent and puzzling tale of a young woman's descent into self-destruction. Justine (Tallulah Haddon) meets Rachel (Sophie Reid) and love takes over. At first it heals, but Justine's pain goes deep, and soon a new battle commences, more urgent and angry than anything she has ever before experienced.
Last modified on Wed 3 Mar 2021 06.00 EST
Remember all-consuming crushes and awkward first dates? For young people in this age of self-isolation, such tender encounters might well be from another century. Chronicling a young lesbian romance set in a wintry Brighton, Justine is the remedy to the lack of such human contact. But itâs not all coffee dates and beach cuddles: this film is also a window on the harrowing cycle of addiction among displaced young adults.
Justine (Tallulah Haddon), on probation and cut off from her family, is in a state of disarray. Awakened by loud bangs from the door â her landlord is asking for this monthâs rent â Justine staggers dazedly, and fully clothed, out of the bath. Her lips bear a nasty cut, and her left arm is covered in swathes of white bandages. This dire scene opens to a more hopeful past, only three months earlier, when Justine first locks eyes with Rachel (Sophie Reid), a teacher-to-be, in a bookstore. Harsh financial re