Teen drama close to the bone

Thirteen is the disturbing story of high school student Tracy Freeland’s (Evan Wood) transformation from star pupil to teen tearaway.

The 13-year-old’s downward spiral begins after she strikes up a friendship with the school’s bad girl Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed). Soon her world is turned into a nightmare of drink, drugs and underage sex.

Watching helplessly is Tracy’s mum, Melanie (Holly Hunter). Despite her best efforts to help her wayward daughter she’s out of her depth as she tries to come to grips with a world that’s changed dramatically since her own days as a teenager.

Thirteen is every parent’s nightmare and pulls no punches when it comes to vividly mapping the pitfalls that await today’s youth.

Drama, 18. 2/5