Listen. Expect to be wowed by how solid a movie this is.
From director Sarah Gavron (Suffragette) comes Rocks; a movie about a teenage girl living in London in the current era. We are taken on a whistle stop tour of her life, her friends, her school, and her family. Currently, she lives with her mother and kid brother, Emmanuel, but one day, her mother unexpectedly leaves to ‘clear her head’ and it doesn’t seem like she’s coming back. With the help of her closest friends, she attempts to survive as the sole carer of her brother whilst dodging social services like the plague. And… that’s about it. It’s a simple story, but one that is incredibly eye-opening.
Some films encapsulate a specific moment in time so convincingly. This is definitely one of those films. Not only does it show the multicultural realism of the United Kingdom, but it lends a hand in showing the world what it’s really like to live here. Of course, not everyone will have this exact experience just because they live in England, but the way this movie explains effortlessly the truth that is often hidden in British society is admirable.
Using a cast of majority unknown and first time actors is completely perfect for this. Bukky Bakray is excellent in the title role, but to be fair, all of the young girls are absolutely brilliant. And the kid who plays Rocks’ little brother? How dare he be so good at such a young age?! (Special shoutout to Kosar Ali, who plays Rocks’ best friend, Sumaya. She has the most star quality I’ve ever seen in a first time actor without a shadow of a doubt.)
Everything about this piece of work just feels so organic and realistic. There’s none of the glamorisation that comes with a lot of teenage girl films, and rather it encapsulates the bleakness of how life in this generally awful country can be. But it’s not all sad: there’s some truly great British humour too, most of which was more than likely improvised and is just as good (if not better) than that of renowned comedians. On top of that, the theme of young female friendship was explored fully and it was lovely to see.
At only 90 minutes, this film was the perfect length. It didn’t need to be any longer or any shorter, and in fact, what Sarah Gavron managed to do with so little time is outstanding. Gavron has actually been known to shy away from being hailed so strongly as this film’s director, as she likes to think of it as more of a collaborative effort; she doesn’t even bombard us with a usually obligatory ‘DIRECTED BY SARAH GAVRON’ title card at the end of the movie. Rocks could not be what it is without the help of every single actor and crew member involved, and she wants you to know that.
On a personal note, I truly hope everyone involved with this film has a successful career coming their way. It’s impossible not to root for the actors after being so impressed by them with Rocks and technically, from the music to the camerawork to the script, it’s just a treat.
Not always the most exciting watch, but definitely recommended due to its realism and stand out performances.
Rocks is available to stream on Netflix in the UK.
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