"its limited release means not many will get to see it but Walsh shows promise and McQueen in the leading role carries proceedings with remarkable confidence"

While there is a very familiar feel to Helen Walsh’s directorial debut The Violators, there is enough talent on show to demonstrate potential for all involved.

Set in the gritty suburbs of Manchester, the plot follows Shelley (Lauren McQueen ) a down on her luck teenager, who struggles to make ends meet living with her two brothers, the younger of whom she acts as a surrogate mum to and the older who is in debt to local pawnbroker and so-creepy-you-know-he-is-the-baddy-of-the-piece Mikey Finnigan (Stephen Lord). Mikey takes an inappropriate shine to Shelley whose life on the run down council estate juxtaposes the gated community that her new friend Rachel (Brogan Ellis) inhabits.

As the story slowly unfolds, Walsh manages to sidestep too many histrionics making for a slow-burning drama that often uses the power of suggestion, most notably in dealing with an imprisoned father figure, to make things unsettling. It does slip into predictability at times as the film relies occasionally on overtly familiar beats and character traits, but once one looks past them, some subtext, a degree of optimism and even a feminist angle can be discovered.

Made on the proverbial shoestring, its limited release means not many will get to see it but Walsh shows promise and McQueen in the leading role carries proceedings with remarkable confidence and a superb performance that makes a mockery of her lack of experience.