Pin Cushion Movie Review

The movie “Pin Cushion” was written and directed by Deborah Haywood and produced by Gavin Humphries and Maggie Monteith. The film features Lily Newmark, Joanna Scanlan, Chanel Cresswell, Bethany Antonia, Sacha Cordy-Nice, Saskia Paige Martin, Loris Scarpa, Isy Suttie, John Henshaw, Sophia Tuckey, Aury Wayne, Charlie Frances, Jacob Lee, John Albasiny, Lennon Bradley, and Ali Khan Ali Khan was a renowned actor of Hindi Cinema. He >> Read More... . Natalie Holt composed the music used in the film. The film’s cinematographer was Nicola Daley, and the film’s editors were Anna Dick and Nick Emerson. 

Plot

The film’s protagonists are Iona, played by Lily Newmark, and her mother, Lyn, played by Joanna Scanlan. Iona is a shy, lonely teenager who feels awkward and out of place in the town they moved to, and Lyn has a spinal deformity and learning disability. While Iona tries to make friends with the popular kids, she unknowingly becomes an easy target for them to bully and humiliate. The group, headed by Keelay, played by Sacha Cordy-Nice, pretends to befriend Iona only to torment her later on. The mother-daughter duo, which always spent all their time together, gets torn apart because of Iona’s so-called friends, and so Lyn also tries to befriend their neighbor but is bullied by her instead. To cope with her loneliness, Lyn joins the local knitting group, but that does not go as planned. The film follows the story of Lyn and Iona, who struggle to fit in with others, and how their attempts at socializing are met with harassment and bullying.

Star Performance

Joanna Scanlan and Lily Newmark deliver impeccable performances. They are a delight to watch. Their performance as characters that are treated as pariahs by the mainstream culture but were instead seen as easy targets for bullying is sure to bring tears to your eyes.

Analysis

“Pin Cushion” is director Deborah Haywood’s first feature film. She shot it in her hometown and calls it “emotionally biographical.” The story of the struggles of mental illness and the bullying and harassment that follows has been portrayed perfectly.

What’s There?

• A beautiful story of the bond between a mother and her child
• An emotional tale about the struggles of mental illness and the resultant bullying and harassment
• Stellar performances by Joanna Scanlan and Lily Newmark

What’s Not There?

• It might feel too heavy and sad to some viewers.

Verdict

The film perfectly portrays how brutal the world can be for someone regarded as mentally weaker by others. The characters suffer extreme atrocities because the world views them as “different” from themselves. The story is heart-clenching and emotional, and the acting is spectacular. So, the film is a must-watch for drama lovers.