2024 Edinburgh International Film Festival Review

Lollipop opens with a conversation: the audience hears Molly (Posy Sterling) talking on the phone to her daughter Ava (Tegan-Mia Stanley Rhoads), assuring her that they only have to endure a few more sleepovers before they can go home together. This is a lie, one that Molly frequently uses to protect her children, as she is currently incarcerated. The story then fast-forwards to Molly taking her first steps out of jail, with one goal in mind: to get her children back after being separated for four months—a period that feels like a lifetime for any mother.

However, Molly is homeless due to the flawed system in place for the formerly incarcerated. She is currently living in a tent in a park, with her keys placed between her knuckles for potential self-defense, and she has little money to her name. The film follows Molly on her journey to overcome the barriers imposed by child services and other institutions. The film aims to critique the system while highlighting how the structures designed to be “for the children” can cause significant mental anguish for the parents affected.

The moments in the film that attempt to criticize child and housing services are evident when Molly applies for housing. Without her children present, she can only secure a one-bedroom apartment. Daisy-May Hudson lays the foundation for a film that should be angry at these institutions. Although Molly has served her time in jail, she continues to be punished. However, it never fully commits to its critique. Instead, it focuses more on the relationships between Molly and her mum, Sylvie (TerriAnn Cousins), and the friendship between Molly and her old friend Amina (Idil Ahmed), who is in a similar situation. Seeing Molly and Amina unite to overcome the system could have delivered a powerful message, highlighting the importance of maintaining connections with those who love us unconditionally. However, since the film’s foundation is meant to tackle a different issue, the message it tries to convey shifts, which unintentionally creates a problematic narrative.

This is Daisy-May Hudson’s directorial debut; unfortunately, her inexperience shows. The camera work throughout feels claustrophobic. While this could be interpreted as a metaphor for normal life becoming a new form of prison, it also suggests the signs of a first-time director. The lack of shot variation in the edit results in Molly having full conversations with people the audience never sees. This approach is frustrating, particularly in an early scene where Molly is caught off guard by child services. She is overwhelmed with emotion and panic, but I was left bewildered. We are meant to feel like Molly—surrounded and trapped in the room as she is told her children will remain with the foster family. Instead, it raises more questions, such as who she was talking to.

Posy Sterling is a true powerhouse. Delivering a raw performance, she conveys the pain and suffering Molly endures as she struggles to secure a house and a job to get her children back. Sterling also brings a layer of anger that underscores Molly’s sense of continued punishment. Sterling’s performance stands above the rest. The remaining cast , however, are a mixed bag. Some characters seem to be simply reading from a script rather than fully conveying the key emotions of the scenes. Lollipop begins with a promising concept, critiquing the systems that exacerbate the mental anguish of parents. However, at the midway point, the focus shifts to unifying against the system. This shift resulted in a final product that I found to be lacklustre.

★★★

Playing as part of the 2024 Edinburgh International Film Festival / Posy Sterling, Tegan-Mia Stanley Rhoads, TerriAnn Cousins, Idil Ahmed / Dir: Daisy-May Hudson / 15