Deborah Haywood’s debut is a remarkable look at the effects bullying can have at school and all the way through to adulthood. The phycological harm inflicted on its victims is never shyed away from and the film is unrelentingly upsetting but, more importantly, Pin Cushion feels raw, visceral and unlike anything I’ve seen for a long time.
Iona (Lily Newmark) and her mother Lyn (Joanna Scanlan) move to a new house which in turn means Iona has to start a new school. Both of them have a super close relationship to one another and because of Lyn’s hunchback, it means Iona has lived a very sheltered life, meaning she’s an easy target. Pin Cushion presents them exactly as most other films would, only it manages to not poke fun at their eccentrics and instead makes you see the best in them. One of the key elements to do with Pin Cushion’s success is down to the fact you are not only believing in the characters, but also feeling every single moment of their pain.
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