Reception
Chuck Foster of Film Threat awarded the film 9/10 stars, lauding that "The performances shine as well. Both Edward Hayter and Freddie Thorp brilliantly command their roles through arrogance and vulnerability, channeling the horrifying uncertainty of becoming a young adult. Frank Jakeman deserves an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as a broken father struggling to raise his directionless son. Adam Deacon delivers a chilling performance in his portrayal of a psychotic drug dealer, and Diana Vickers perfectly balances the frivolity of being a young party girl with the innocence of being thrown in the middle of Luke's and Tommy's tumultuous relationship."
Elinor Perry-Smith of SEEN praised the filmmaker, stating "Nicole Albarelli relishes the interiority of her characters and resists cliché, establishing Tommy's and Luke's dignity and complexity with humour and pathos." Joseph McLauchlan of Take One Cinema applauded it for being "a tightly plotted and emotionally charged debut that refuses to pull any punches".
Meanwhile, Grace Williams of Battle Royale With Cheese compared Albarelli to Andrea Arnold, but chided the film, stating "there seems to be something missing which could have given the film a final varnish, which is a more interesting script". And Tom Keogh of Video Librarian derided the film, calling it "a miserable, unimaginative kitchen-sink drama" and rating it 1/4 stars.
