Cherrybomb

Cherrybomb follows two Belfast teenagers from very different backgrounds. Luke and Malachy have been close friends, but the arrival of Michelle, a confident girl new to their lives, changes the dynamic between them. She sets the pair against each other, offering her attention in exchange for increasingly reckless tasks, and what begins as a contest between friends escalates into something far more dangerous.

The film was directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa, working from a screenplay by Daragh Carville. It was their first feature together, preceding Good Vibrations, Ordinary Love and Saipan. Rupert Grint plays Malachy and Robert Sheehan plays Luke, with Kimberley Nixon as Michelle. James Nesbitt appears as Crilly, alongside Niamh Quinn, Paul Kennedy and Conor MacNeill in supporting roles. It was produced by Simon Bosanquet, Michael Casey and Mark Huffam, with backing from Screen Ireland, BBC Northern Ireland, Generator Entertainment and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.

Released in 2009, the film runs 86 minutes and mixes drama, romance and thriller elements. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.8 from around 7,700 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.5 from roughly 124 votes. A critics' rating of 4.7 from 12 reviews places it slightly below the audience scores, suggesting a modest overall reception for this debut feature.