Broken

The film follows two families in a quiet English suburb whose days seem ordinary but are underpinned by strain. A chain of unsettling incidents pulls their lives toward a single violent moment and the fallout that follows, testing loyalties, trust, and the boundaries of right and wrong. The narrative centers on Skunk, a perceptive young girl whose sharp observations reveal the hidden tensions beneath the veneer of normalcy, while the adults grapple with guilt and consequences. Violence and risk hover in the background, treated with restraint, letting characters feel the weight of their choices. The mood is patient, ominous, and intimate. The film avoids sensationalism, letting ordinary spaces become uneasy theaters of possibility. The camera lingers in hallways, kitchens, and front yards, letting ordinary spaces feel like waiting rooms for something terrible.

Directed by Rufus Norris, Broken adapts Daniel Clay's novel with Mark O'Rowe contributing to the screenplay. The 2012 film marks Norris's transition from theatre to cinema, bringing a stark, intimate British drama to the screen.

While the performances drew attention, the film's awards footprint remained modest. It made limited appearances on festival circuits and did not become a regular feature at major ceremonies, though many critics applauded the ensemble for grounding a heavy psychological drama in lived-in detail. That measured reception mirrors the film's disciplined approach.

Although not a blockbuster, Broken has found a foothold in film education as an example of restrained realism. Several critics highlight Skunk's perspective as a rare child-centered lens on suburbia, inviting discussion about innocence, complicity, and how communities absorb tragedy.

Critical reception noted its patient pacing, moral ambiguity, and focus on the consequences of choices. The film looks at how secrecy and fragile loyalties under a veneer of normal life can give way to violence, with Skunk's perspective serving as a chilling moral lens. Critics praised the performances, especially Laurence and Roth, for delivering restraint and humanity in a difficult material.