The debut feature from award-winning theatre and opera director Rufus Norris, Broken is a powerful drama featuring an outstanding ensemble cast.
Skunk (Eloise Laurence) is an 11-year-old with diabetes, a bothersome condition that impinges on her otherwise seemingly blissful life in a North London suburb. Her devoted single father Archie (Tim Roth) worries about her and her minder Kasia (Zana Marjanovic) is frequently distracted by issues with her teacher boyfriend Mike (Cillian Murphy).
Shortly after witnessing a brutal beating, Skunk’s home, neighbourhood, and school become treacherous environments, where the happy certainties of childhood give way to danger; her innocence is rapidly worn away and a harsh world fills her future, over which she has no control.
The film is beautifully shot, in a kind of trance-like glow, by cinematographer Rob Hardy, and newcomer Laurence delivers a wonderfully natural and eye-catching performance that marks her as a star in the making.