Shadows on the Wall | Sunny Dancer

Sunny Dancer

dir-scr George Jaques
prd Ken Petrie, George Jaques
with Bella Ramsey, Daniel Quinn Toye, Ruby Stokes, Earl Cave, Conrad Khan, Jasmine Elcock, Neil Patrick Harris, James Norton, Jessica Gunning, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Louis Gaunt, James Blunt
release UK 14.Aug.26,
US 18.Sep.26
26/UK 1h46

BERLIN FILM FEST

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A summer camp movie with a twist, this is a raucous, bright comedy with a solid dose of dramatic depth. Writer-director George Jacques keeps things snappy, allowing the gifted young cast to bring out the amusing edges of the characters. So the film becomes an offbeat coming of age, as well as an antidote to the usual overly heartfelt approach to cancer-themed movies. But it's still strongly moving.

After getting the all-clear, 17-year-old Ivy (Ramsay) is annoyed when her overly cool parents Bob (Norton) and Karen (Gunning) send her to what she calls "chemo camp" with other cancer survivors. Camp leader Patrick (Harris) notes that this is a place for weirdos, welcoming newcomers and reminding them of the compulsory talent show at the end of the summer. Ivy's roommate Ella (Stokes) shows her the ropes. And Jake (Toye) likes how honest Ivy is, so a romance blossoms. Eventually, Ivy discovers a pack of rambunctious friends, and the joy of running wild with them.

Ivy's hilariously goofy parents rightly think she needs help with opening up emotionally. Indeed, she's immediately turned off by the painfully uplifting aphorisms posted around the camp, and as returning teens speak wistfully about those who haven't made it back this year. She continuously calls people on their patronising inspirational attitudes, calling them "grief tourists". So she's immediately in trouble and sent to the camp therapist (Brune-Franklin), who encourages her to find something that does inspire her.

With another razor-sharp performance, Ramsay brings Ivy to life in layers of humour and anger that are charismatic and likeable. Her offhanded style of acting feels like a breath of fresh air in a movie with this kind of subject matter. And each of her fellow young cast members create alert characters who are mischievous, cynical and, yes, horny in their own ways. Refreshingly, these are kids who know that life should be lived without apology.

By allowing these young people to speak so irreverently about their medical experiences, the film cleverly defuses the issue, making it that much easier to get involved with them. Even with all the laughter, including a running thread of pitch-black punchlines, there are honest feelings and dark situations throughout the story, so the movie has a lot to say to anyone who has experience with serious illness, or those who might encounter one in the future.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 16.Sep.26

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