The film tells the story of Yong Goob, 16, who decided to return to his mother's house where he grew up in the countryside, between a small restaurant and a pumpkin field. Goob's life is transformed upon the arrival of Eva Pumpkin Alien Picker, while a mysterious path leads them together in this frame together.
At the centre of it all, lanky newcomer Walpole gives a remarkable, sympathetic performance as a boy on the cusp of manhood, struggling with the pressures of a small-town environment and a half-formed desire for something more.
The setting for Guy Myhill's terrific coming-of-age drama The Goob is the wind-blasted flatland of rural Norfolk, but there's a reckless, lawless quality to this land and its community that evokes the backwoods of America's deep south.
Some typical Britfilm flourishes are present and correct - moody shots of the Goob whipping through the long grass, brandishing a stick - but the Norfolk setting, its sincere leads and an affecting score keep things a touch above the usual.
The writer-director Guy Myhill brings an engaging mix of abrasiveness and lyricism to a film that seems at times like a British equivalent to David Gordon Green's early films.
There is a skittishness to Guy Myhill's debut that initially feels impressionistic but ultimately seems like carelessness as his narrative weaves unsteadily through its central character's coming of age, unsure where to place its emphasis.
