Jellyfish

The film begins in kitchen-sink-grim mode, then multiplies in interest as it transforms into the origins story of a teenage female talent - here in standup comedy rather than art. It has an astonishingly good performance by Liv Hill as Sarah, a 15-year-old written off by teachers as lazy and anti-social. Sarah is coping with the responsibilities of looking after her mentally ill mum and younger siblings. Homework ranks on her priority list somewhere below finding a fiver for the electricity meter. She is also holding down a part-time job at an amusement arcade where she gives handjobs to sad old blokes for a tenner. The subject matter in Jellyfish is bleak, but lets Sarah tell her story as she finds her voice as a comedian in the finale. Liv Hill. What a fantastic actress.

Phew that was a really really tough watch... very much like a Shane Meadows movie... harsh, grim and gritty social story with a tinge of humour and hard hitting story and ending - the young actress who played the lead was unbelievable, keep an eye on her she is going places

I've seen some reviews that portrays the teacher as 'ever dependable' and 'saviour' I disagree I thought he was self-centred and too embroiled in his show to show humanity to the main character... until it was all too late

There were a few times while watching Jellyfish that I thought I would have to turn it off. While my own childhood experience was not as extreme as the ones seen in this film, it was close enough to make watching it quite difficult. At the same time it was so good in its performances and the intensity of emotion that I was practically compelled to keep watching. I kept thinking, the ending of this film better be damn good as that will be what makes watching it ultimately worthwhile. In this context I found the ending to be a disappointment though not inappropriate. The story of the eldest daughter of a mentally ill/narcissistic drug addict mother, and how the daughter works so hard to keep the family, including much younger twin siblings, intact and the toll this takes on her. At the same time her emotional struggles lead her to write comedy, so there is something of a silver lining. I would recommend viewing it if you desire an emotionally intense movie-watching experience which includes some nice shots of one of England's quaint seaside towns.

We saw Jellyfish last night without expecting anything very much but we found the film really absorbing. The main character is beautifully played and very convincing. She doesn't always make the right choices, but you can entirely see why this happens. It really makes you think about the issues involved. In its own way, In many ways, it reminded me of 'Kes', effectively mixing drama and humour. My favourite film of the year so far, (and I have seen quite a few). Hope it gets the release it deserves.

This is an absolutely horrendous story for starters of children who have to act and are thrown into circumstances that are far beyond their years. It's an incredibly brave film and had it not been for the credible performances, could've been extremely cringing as I have seen my fair share of amateur productions. I also think it's a really important film to be viewed by teachers and educators to understand their students as multidimensional people as opposed to how they present themselves in whatever class it is they are attending. The learners I often come into contact with come with their own emotional baggage so it really wasn't difficult to understand exactly what the great young actress was portraying. This is another recent film which has shown just how desolate British seaside towns are, or have become, & the struggles which go hand in hand with that dying and dilapidated environment.