Review: Black Dog is a sincere and moving debut about the daunting leap into adulthood

Black Dog poignantly portrays the beauty, chaos and loss which comes with turning eighteen but it could've done with being left to breathe.

Directed by George Jaques, who also wrote and produced the film alongside Avatar: Way of the Water star Jamie Flatters, Black Dog is a deeply meaningful and moving debut, instigating important messages about young people's - and particularly men's - mental health and preparing for the daunting leap into adulthood.

Flatters stars next to Keenan Munn-Francis in the movie; Jaques' first feature-length film which he himself first started writing at the young age of 18 - and there's few signs that give this away.

Catch the trailer below:

The coming-of-age film follows teenage British boys Nathan (Flatters) and Sam (Munn-Francis) from contrasting London backgrounds who join together for a road trip, not only journeying up to the North but also navigating their way into their adult years.

Both are struggling to let go and make sense of their pasts and grappling with the unpredictability of their futures, the duo prove to be an, at times, quite violent and almost detrimental yin to the other's yang.

Jaques and Flatters' script is precise, at times both heart-wrenchingly but also humorously so, and blossoms as the film goes on - as someone who grew up in London and spent days on the common glugging Glen's vodka straight from the bottle and coughing on Pall Mall cigarettes trying to grow up too fast, I felt transported.

It's impossible to watch Black Dog and not feel a chord struck within you - whether it be a pang of nostalgia or a chime with a past version of your own adolescent self.

The cinematography of the shots is well-considered, grows more engaging and emphasises the beauty of certain moments, both this and the script complimenting the impressive display of acting on show from Flatters and Munn-Francis.

Black Dog stars Jamie Flatters and Keenan Munn-Francis (Vertigo Releasing)

Munn-Francis' portrayal of the vulnerable, anxiety-ridden Sam is exquisite to watch, the young actor excelling at portraying the intricate layers and depth of the character.

From his first close-up, his eyes say it all, Munn-Francis maintaining a masterful hold on channeling such pure and strong emotion in just one glance or stare.

Flatters' character of Nathan is aggressively intense from the get-go. Nathan is highly juxtaposed to Sam, so much so initially, the character almost felt too jarring to watch when compared to the initial tone of the rest of the film. However, as the film progresses, this intensity is highly justified and has clearly been thoroughly considered by both Jaques as director and Flatters.

Flatters' focused commitment to the complexity of Nathan's background and trauma manifesting itself in the heartstring-tugging portrayal of a teenager writhing in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions results in a beautiful arc to Nathan's emotional journey.

But, the use of music in the film did jar with the nuance of the script alongside the earnest nature of the performances on screen.

Keenan Munn-Francis stars as Sam (Vertigo Releasing)

Whether it be a sound similar to a pounding heart used in one tense scene or music used as filler in others, I wish silence had been embraced instead.

I understand the fear that can arise from too much quiet or stillness and the desire to push the viewer in the right direction of emotion or to signal a scene as holding greater significance in a character's journey, but the use of music - at least at the start of the film - felt too much.

It felt used in a bid to force viewers' reaction when actually certain moments would've been more powerful had they been left to breathe - the cinematography of the shots, the captivating standard of acting and well-crafted script left to truly shine.

The transitions and intercutting between shots felt like it could've done with being slightly smoother too.

Saying that, similarly to how Nathan and Sam's physical journey to Scotland gives way to a growth within them, the film itself mirrors this journey as well, growing stronger and stronger as it progresses - the creatives involved learnt a lot along the way too.

George Jaques directed and co-wrote the film (Supplied)

While the music felt slightly forced and distracting in earlier scenes, as Black Dog plays on the use of music becomes far more refined.

One scene in particular when Nathan and Sam are in the car, the introduction of music beautifully highlights the moment of connection between the pair - the shots, lighting and sound working together in a moment of pure harmony and emotion which was skin-prickling to experience.

Several lines in the script are also given their moments to breathe as the journey continues, allowing the true power of the words and characters' emotions to show, triggering a natural and even more clenching tug on the heart-strings.

The script fits a lot in and could even be considered as squishing in too much at times, particularly the amount of sensitive topics and themes it deals with - from touching on the foster care system, to diving into certain mental health-related conditions to its multiple embodiments of grief.

Jamie Flatters stars as Nathan (Vertigo Releasing)

There are two scenes in particular which are quite shocking to view - one in which my hand flew to my mouth in horror and another, when the realization of what was going on made my heart feel like it was almost physically aching.

On one hand this is great - the film isn't predictable, which many other coming-of-age films can fall into the trap of. On the other, Black Dog could certainly come with a content warning or three.

In one of the moments, I questioned whether the intensity of the moment had been appropriately built up to, but at the same time, I reflected that's simply not always how life works.

And it definitely didn't fall into the trap of a cheesy ending either - I was close to punching the air in triumph. Black Dog was wrapped up so flawlessly I was left with a huge beam on my face - with a few tears having sprung to my eyes too - and wanting more.

Black Dog is a heart-felt, beautiful debut from Jaques (Vertigo Releasing)

There's no doubt about the film being lovingly and dedicatedly crafted by up-and-coming, highly talented - and driven - young creatives who've been inspired by their own vulnerabilities and tender experiences to not just make something beautiful, but to provoke much-needed conversation.

Black Dog is a sincere, at times heart-wrenching, but also beautiful portrayal of the chaos of being a teenager on the cusp of entering adult life and is a real coming-of-age film by people who actually understand and appreciate what it’s like to grow up in the mayhem of the world as it is right now.

✯✯✯.5

Black Dog is available to buy and watch on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.