Review: Adult Life Skills

Have you ever felt a bit directionless, getting older yet feeling like you’re not getting any wiser? Anna (Jodie Whittaker), the nearly 30-year old protagonist of charming art house British film, Adult Life Skills, certainly has. With only a week of her 20s left, she finds herself living in her mum’s converted garden shed, filling her days making private films in which thumbs with drawn-on faces are the players. The return of a close friend from an intrepid holiday only reinforces her place as the person who isn’t really going anywhere. Her mum gives her an ultimatum – move out and grow up.

Quirky, moving, and at times all too relatable, Adult Life Skills tells this story in a very British way – with a kind of quiet brilliance, focusing on the relationships which make up Anna’s life, including an unexpected friendship she develops with a troubled 8 year old, and the awkward run-ins with a local real-estate agent who’s social awkwardness constantly get in the way of his trying to woo her. Equally as key to the film is the process of personal grieving, which filmmakers cleverly explain through a series of dramatic style changes and seamless flashbacks.

An all-round engaging watch and great for those who are approaching a new decade and feeling a little daunted by it all… You’re not alone!