Thumbsucker review

Little Justin still sucks his thumb. Ah, well. He’ll stop when he’s old enough, right? Thing is, Justin is already 17 and his habit shows no sign of going away...

On one level, Mike Mills’ directorial debut is just another indie coming-of-age movie, with Justin battling the usual high school traumas and unhelpful parents. On another, it’s a poignant look at the ways society messes up teenagers, as characters try to use tough love, hypnotism and even drugs to suppress Justin’s comfort tic.

There’s not a bad performance to be found here. Lou Taylor Pucci makes Justin both likeable and faintly disturbing, while Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio are outstanding as his parents, both struggling with their own mid-life crises. It’s also a must watch for fans of finely-honed scene-stealing, thanks to trippy turns from Vince Vaughn and Keanu Reeves.