Coping with the death of a family member can be difficult. Dealing with the death of a twin can be an even more emotional ordeal. That's the theme of Adult Life Skills, a 2016 British dramedy just making its way to U.S. theaters.
The movie, which opens on Friday at Tower City Cinemas and arrives on Video on Demand the same day, possesses a quirky charm even if doesn't feature a particularly compelling plot.
The film stars Jodie Whittaker (the first female Doctor Who) as Anna, a woman who has retreated to her mom's garden shed in the wake of her twin brother's death. There, she makes funny videos using her thumbs as talking puppets. Obsessed with popular culture, she calls the place Right Shed Fred and isolates herself there. She only goes into her mother's house to quickly eat and shower.
As Anna approaches age 30, her mom begins to pressure her to do something meaningful with her life. "This can't go on," she tells her. "Eighteen months in a shed is too much. You need to get on with things."
Anna could easily date her co-worker (Brett Goldstein), who clearly has a thing for her, but she can't seem to take the next step. When her neighbor puts her in charge of his young son Clint (Ozzy Myers), she's forced into taking more responsibility and must quickly break out of her funk.
The film received rave reviews when it screened in 2016 at the Tribeca Film Fest, delivering the Nora Ephron Prize to writer-director Rachel Tunnard, who makes a rather auspicious debut with her first feature film.