Spilt Milk

If there’s one thing that 11-year-old Bobby O’Brien (Cillian Sullivan) adores more than watching Kojak, it’s dreaming about being the world’s greatest detective and cracking cases at school with his best friend and neighbour Nell (Naoise Kelly). When his older brother Oisin (Lewis Brophy) goes missing one day, Bobby believes he’s the only one who can bring him home and becomes convinced that his brother has left him a breadcrumb trail of clues to follow. As he digs deeper into his investigation, however, he discovers the harsh realities of addiction that’s gripped his housing estate in Brian Durnin’s fabulous feature debut, Spilt Milk.

Set in 1980s Dublin, Durnin’s film is a vibrant coming-of-age tale that balances being a light-hearted comedy about two friends who are trying to stay out of trouble while hunting for clues alongside being a heartfelt story of brotherhood and community. As a mystery, Spilt Milk is anchored around a genuinely compelling investigation, complete with some unexpected twists and turns as the friends chase down new leads. Although Bobby’s turbulent home life makes it easy to point the finger towards his quick-to-anger father (Laurence O’Fuarain), who’s consistently at Oisin’s throat, there’s a lot more going on that the young protagonist doesn’t yet understand. When the bigger picture does start to fall into place for Bobby, the flick transitions into a triumphant rallying cry from a community that’s had enough.

From the moment he appears on screen to excitedly announce that he’s got another plan (that’s bound to get him and Nell into trouble), Sulliven is a constant delight. In addition to his enthusiasm and endless charm being well-suited to the script’s less serious moments, the newcomer successfully nails the more emotionally demanding moments, consequently lending more weight to the brotherly relationship at this film’s core. Brophy is also wonderful and O’Fuarain is a force to be reckoned with – but it’s Danielle Galligan as the boys’ dedicated mother who stands out as one of the strongest performances.

Scored by a quintessentially 80s collection of new wave and synth tracks, Spilt Milk is a joy to watch from start to finish in Durnin’s winner of a feature debut.

Andrew Murray

Spilt Milk does not have a release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Glasgow Film Festival coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Glasgow Film Festival website here.