As a dour lark once trilled, “They f**k you up, your mum and dad”. And according to the opening tirade of Ed Lilly’s bold directorial debut – “Don’t f**k around with me. F**k off” – so do foster parents.

Passed from pillar to post from the age of four after his mother Lisa (Emily Taaffe) “dumped” him into care, 17 year old Adam (a blistering performance by Connor Swindells) is one fight away from a secure residential unit.

But thanks to his long-serving social worker Terry (Nicholas Pinnock) who “pulled in a favour” by coaxing the retired foster parent Fiona (Ruth Sheen oozing humanity) to take him under her wing, for once the stars align rather than implode.

VS. – BBC Films

In place of rules and questions, Fiona offers time and space, non-judgement and kindness. “The condoms are in the bathroom cabinet,” she informs him. “Top them up. Nothing like running out when you’re on a promise.”

In place of a five finger shuffle and a pack of Handy Andies, a brace of beauties: Makayla (Fola Evans-Akingbola) who by day works as a cashier in an amusement arcade but by night MC’s spoken word events in the arrhythmic heart of Southend-on-Sea; and single mum Katie (Ellie James) who opens her heart, his eyes and their legs.

And in place of four walls closing in on the jungle of noise in his head, battle rap. A competitive duel in which swaggering wordsmiths go toe-to-toe and tongue-to-tongue in a bruising exchange of uppercut insults and below the belt sucker punches. Or as the British performance poet Jem Rolls used to put it, “Come and have a go if you think you’re bard enough!”

The spoken word sets are mightily impressive, as are the performances by Adam’s competitors who include seasoned battle rappers Adam Rooney aka Shotty Horroh as Slaughter and Paige Mead aka Paigey Cakey as Miss Quotes.

But this is not to suggest that the screenplay (co-written by Lilly and Daniel Hayes) is a vehicle to showcase their talents. Far from it. For the powerful dramatic arc is framed around Adam coming to terms with his demons and his past by coming face-to-face with his estranged mother who has her own story to tell. And it is these scenes which pack the most punch.

Gritty, current, brutally honest, utterly believable and as Slaughter says, “No bars held.” Just like this film which is VS: very sick!

Director: Ed Lilly
Writers: Daniel Hayes (screenplay), Ed Lilly (screenplay)
Stars: Joivan Wade, Ruth Sheen, Fola Evans-Akingbola
Peter Callaghan
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