Sunny Dancer review: Bella Ramsey leads heartfelt comedy-drama
There have been many films about people dealing with cancer, and the latest addition to the sub-genre, Sunny Dancer, breaks the mould as a comedy-drama that focuses on who the sufferers are outside of their diagnoses.
The film, written and directed by George Jacques, stars Bella Ramsey as Ivy, who has been in remission from leukaemia for 10 months and is angry, isolated and emotionally unavailable. To help her make new friends, her parents Bob and Karen (James Norton and Jessica Gunning) sign her up for CRF Camp (or “chemo camp” in Ivy’s words) so she can meet teenagers who have also been affected by cancer.
Ivy reluctantly goes to the CRF (Children Run Free) Camp, run by American Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), but refuses to engage with the activities and other campers, including her roommate Ella (Ruby Stokes), insisting that she doesn’t belong there and everybody is weird. Eventually, she realises that these misfits might be just the people she needs and becomes friends with Ella and her pals Ralph (Earl Cave), Archie (Conrad Khan), Maisie (Jasmine Elcock) and Jake (Daniel Quinn-Toye).
Sunny Dancer is a joyful celebration of finding your people, letting people in and not being defined by your illness. In the outside world, Ivy is treated with pity, whereas at CRF, she is free to be herself and just be a teen, not a teen with cancer. As such, the film doesn’t dwell on their health too much and delivers a good combo of goofy comedy, poignant drama and cute teen romance.
However, I felt Ivy changed too quickly from being a stubborn, bratty loner to one of Ella’s friends – it didn’t feel gradual or natural enough – and I wish her mental health had been explored a bit further. Also, the comedy is rather forced and cringe-worthy at times and I felt emotionally shafted by a reveal in the final act.
But there is no faulting the cast. Ramsey is a fine lead, able to balance the lighter beats with the heavier, emotional ones. Their character has a dark disposition and is miserable, shut off and mad at the world, but Ivy finally accepts that it’s OK to have fun and be a kid too. Stokes is charming and delightful as Ivy’s boy-mad, oversharing roommate and Gunning makes an impact as Ivy’s embarrassing mum. I wasn’t sure about Harris at first because his character’s humour is so awkward, but he hit me hard emotionally in the film’s standout scene.
Sunny Dancer is a solid comedy-drama with a terrific ensemble cast led by Ramsey.
In cinemas from Friday 14th August