The Old Town Girls is available in the FLC Virtual Cinema beginning August 13. Get tickets here.

An alienated teenage girl lives unhappily with her indifferent father, uncaring stepmother and bratty half-sister. When she’s finally reunited with her glamorous-yet-reckless biological mother, the two form a deep, inseparable bond. However, insurmountable debt and ruthless loan sharks soon set the pair’s lives spiraling out of control. This arresting drama-cum-thriller spotlights societal dysfunction through the lens of a fractured family. As it raises a litany of crucial contemporary issues, including materialism usurping human compassion, it also offers a tender and prescient look at our most precious, vulnerable, and fragile connections. Told with exquisite artistry, highlighted by striking cinematography, writer-director Shen Yu’s film is a chilling true-crime drama blended seamlessly with dream-like impressionism, marking her as a promising new talent.