Quirky yet ultimately tragic mother/daughter debut feature from writer/director Deborah Haywood, Pin Cushion is a bleak tale of bullying and social acceptance as mother and daughter struggle to start a new life in a small town.
A hybrid of grim social realism and sugar candied fantasy, the quiet, nuanced narrative sees the pair surviving on the margins. A club-footed Lyn (a superb Joanna Scanlan – After Love, The Girl With the Pearl Earring), herself ostracised by neighbours and community centre members, can only watch as daughter Iona (newcomer Lily Newmark) seemingly fits in with the trend-setting trio of girls at school. But, in a tale redolent of Mean Girls, she is but a lamb to the slaughter as the likes of Keeley move to keep the newcomer in her place.
Understated yet intense, Pin Cushion is a beautifully crafted short feature (80 minutes) with convincingly real performances from its small cast.
Rating: 74%
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