In a cinematic landscape often dominated by the complexities of parenthood, first-time director Kevin Walls focuses on the chaotic period leading up to it in his new Scottish comedy. Despite being produced on a minuscule budget, the film captures the disorienting reality of young adulthood through a narrative that feels delightfully askew.
The story follows Eilidh, an art school dropout portrayed by Elle Watson, who works as a barista in a museum cafe. She maintains a friends-with-benefits relationship with her flatmate, Cameron, played by James Rottger. While Eilidh has found stability in her modest routine, Cameron is struggling under the weight of student debt accumulated after two degrees and is currently trapped in an entry-level position he finds mind-numbing. However, his fortunes seem poised to change when he secures an interview for his dream job in finance.
The couple’s plans are upended when Eilidh discovers she is pregnant. Rather than proceeding with a termination, she chooses to keep the baby, citing an intuitive gut feeling rather than a logical explanation. The film deliberately sidesteps the polarized pro-choice and anti-abortion debate, focusing instead on the personal dynamics between the two leads. This decision allows the narrative to maintain its screwball energy, highlighting the irony of a couple experiencing their first date while already three months into a pregnancy—an anomaly for a generation that typically delays childbearing to establish their careers.
While Walls infuses the movie with a sense of whimsical disorder, the script does suffer from several heavy-handed comedic moments. Nevertheless, the production’s underlying sweetness and genuine charm are sufficient to offset these misfires, resulting in a lighthearted exploration of unexpected parenthood.
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