John Carney (Once, Begin Again) returns with his latest feel-good picture, Sing Street, a beautifully imagined homage to being a teenager in the 1980s. Accompanied by an outstanding soundtrack (a mixture of both well known classics and original songs), Sing Street is a fabulously told story that makes its way to the centre of the hearts of all audiences. 

Sing Street tells the story of Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) in Dublin in the 1980s – his strained family life has meant that he has been taken out of his school and placed in a local religious school instead (he has no faith, nor has black shoes). In the midst of trying to avoid bullies, make friends, ignore his warring parents (Aidan Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy) and listen to all the latest music with his brother, Brendan (Jack Reynor), he meets a mysterious girl, Raphina (Lucy Boynton).

Raphina is a girl with no history – living in the local home for girls, she dreams of moving to London and becoming a model. She dates an older man with his own car and she knows what she wants. But what she doesn’t count on is meeting Conor and figuring out that everything she wants is right in front of her. Conor decides that to impress the girl, he is going to start a new band and Raphina will become the star in all their music videos.

One of the most charming elements of Sing Street is that it takes lead by whatever the characters are listening to at any given moment – whether it’s Duran Duran, The Cure, Motorhead or Hall & Oates. The band then writes a song and performs in that style, followed by a video that is quintessentially 80s – with the story happening between each song.

The chemistry between Walsh-Peelo and Boynton sets the film alright – from their very first scene to the fantastical ending, they play off one another and keep the audience wanting more. Those watching want them to have a happy ending, and whilst everything plays out according to plan, Sing Street manages to continually charm and bring a big smile to the faces of those watching – this is a special film indeed.

Sing Street is a truly a fantastic film, one of the best love stories of the year and once again cements Carney as a brilliant talent – managing to truly merge diegetic music with the stories that he wants to tell.