Kelly (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) meets Victor (Julian Morris) on the dance floor of a Liverpool nightclub. They are soon in her bed, having sex with an urgent intensity that neither has experienced before. Here are two characters struggling to get by as best they can while the people around them are choosing illegal lifestyles; her best mate is a dominatrix prostitute, his pals are aspiring drug dealers. It’s when they get into bed with each other that their darker instincts take over.

Kieran Evans adapts the acclaimed novel by Niall Griffiths for his first fiction feature. With a strong sense of location and an astutely chosen soundtrack, Kelly + Victor is a haunting, candid depiction of a young couple embarking on a passionate transgressive love affair. The two leads deliver committed performances that do a great deal to enhance their status as rising stars. (Notes by Michael Hayden.)