Review: Submarine (15) *****

Now you’ll need an extra digit because Submarine breathes new life into a largely extinct (British) genre. Craig Roberts is Oliver Tate, nerdy hero of Joe Dunthorne’s coming-of-age novel and given life in Richard Ayoade’s terrifically sharp adaptation.

Living in isolation in a remote Welsh village with his deadly dull university lecturer dad and prissy mum, who think he’s gay, he yearns to be able to lose his virginity before his next birthday.

His life takes an unexpected turn when he manages to pull Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige), an emancipated lass who, with a bit of wooing, teaches him a few life lessons. Then there’s the issue of Graham Purvis, a new-age “psychic” with a bootilicious girlfriend, who just happens to be his mum’s old flame.

With deadly dull dad powerless to combat Graham’s sleazy charm, mum is at the mercy of this black-clad charlatan. Enter Oliver, who devises a scheme to thwart Graham and save his parents’ marriage.

A smart, funny and off-the-wall picture, Submarine is wholly British in its outlook. A portrait of small-town life with both plausible and hilarious characters at its core, it benefits from a perfectly-cast ensemble that includes Sally Hawkins as mum Jill and Paddy Considine as Graham.

It’s also plain to see that this quirky romance with its deeply dry, wry humour augurs well for debut director Ayoade and Roberts, surely a bright young thing and an actor to watch closely.

Magic.