Baneet Sarai

Imagine if the kids in Skins celebrated leaving school by making itineraries and heading off on a graduation adventure. That’s the world brought to us by London filmmaker Sasha Nathwani in his feature debut, a touching – if often stereotypical – look at Gen Z-ers heading into adulthood, complete with voice notes, astrophysics, and a crippling fear of living through uncertain times. Deba Hekmat gives a nuanced performance as Ziba, an Iranian-British teen struggling to find meaning in the face of a life-altering revelation. It’s A-level results day and Ziba and her eclectic group of friends are celebrating their freedom by attempting to control the existential dread of adulthood with a celebratory itinerary. Travelling from one London landmark to the next, it’s an ideal tourist’s day out; Portobello Road, Hampstead Heath, Billionaires’ Row and finally, Primrose Hill.  Nathwani’s Indian-Iranian heritage gives his depiction of merging cultures an authentic and refreshing twist – the opening scene cleverly questions what society expects from a non-white teenage girl without being overly moralising. Ziba’s relationship with her unwaveringly affectionate mother (Narges Rashidi) is genuinely touching, a rejection of the austere immigrant parent stereotype. There’s no shortage of intimate moments, particularly in the case of young footballer Malcolm (scene-stealing newcomer Denzel Baidoo). He’s a friend of a friend reluctantly allowed to tag along for reasons that are superficial at b