Kamal Ghorui
Bella Ramsey, best known for her role in ‘The Last of Us’, is back with a brand new film, and it already has reviewers buzzing. ‘Sunny Dancer’, a British coming-of-age comedy drama co-starring James Norton and Neil Patrick Harris, has confirmed its UK release date of 14 August alongside a first-look trailer. The film received its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and is now headed to cinemas.Written and directed by George Jacques, ‘Sunny Dancer’ centres on teenager Ivy who, after being given the all-clear following cancer treatment, is sent off to a summer camp for young people affected by cancer or, as she bluntly calls it, “chemo camp.”
What ‘Sunny Dancer’ is about
Ramsey stars as Ivy, encouraged by her parents, Karen, played by ‘Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunn, and Bob, played by Norton, to spend a summer at the camp. Running the project is camp leader Patrick, played by Neil Patrick Harris, who attempts to break through to a hostile Ivy as she reluctantly begins to bond with her campmates. Among those campmates is the optimistic Ella, played by Ruby Stokes, who has made it her mission to lose her virginity at “chemo camp” and has her sights firmly set on hot counsellor Tristan, played by Louis Gaunt. Meanwhile, Ivy’s own affections develop elsewhere as she grows closer to fellow camper Jake, played by Daniel Quinn-Toye, with whom she shares a tender connection.Also starring as Ivy’s new friends are Earl Cave as Ralph, Conrad Khan as Archie, and Shalom Brune-Franklin as Lucy.
What people are saying about ‘Sunny Dancer’
The film came out of Berlinale with strong reviews across the board. The Upcoming called it a “must-watch” and “an absolute gem”, while RadioTimes described it as “sharply funny, shrewdly directed and catching the rhythms of teen interactions.” IndieWire noted that Jacques had made a bleak subgenre of cinema a little bit sunnier.According to Digital Spy, director Jacques himself described his vision for the film in straightforward terms. “I want the audience to laugh till they cry, then actually cry, and walk away with a fresh perspective on how the young, in fighting for life, are seen, not as victims, but as bold, complex, and full of life,” he said.With a cast this strong, early praise from one of the world’s most respected film festivals, and a release date now locked in, ‘Sunny Dancer’ is shaping up to be one of the most compelling cinema releases of the summer.
