‘Do you think we’re good people?’ Ziba asks her friends anxiously, as she reels from a diagnosis that threatens her bright future. Set in London, this teen blow-out flick from debut writer-director Sasha Nathwani and co-writer Helen Simmons offers a sober, soul-searching contrast to the usual hedonistic hilarity, infusing its end-of-school shenanigans with a more melancholic air. Deba Hekmat (Hoard) plays Ziba, a nerdy and beautiful British Iranian teen, who is hiding her condition from pals Tara (Lydia Fleming), Shea (Solly McLeod) and Merf (Jay Lycurgo). An aspiring astrophysicist who has won a place at UCL, Ziba arranges a road trip across London for results day, which ominously starts to feel like a final hurrah and takes them from Portobello Road to Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill. Joining the quartet is promising footballer Malcom (Denzel Baidoo) who has just received his own earth-shattering news.

Although it lacks the finesse and impact of last year’s How To Have Sex, which took a more compelling look at a teenage girl in crisis, Last Swim is still a very striking effort. Gorgeously shot by Olan Collardy, the film’s dreamy, almost-surreal quality reflects its protagonist’s addled, flailing mindset and there’s welcome emotional depth. The charismatic young cast is ably led by Hekmat, with newcomer Baidoo also showing particular promise.

Sadly, not all the characters feel fleshed out and Ziba’s self-absorption, however understandable, does get wearing as she hijacks results day for her own ends. But the gut-punch of being a promising young woman who may not get a chance to realise her ambitions is well conveyed. And there’s an authenticity that stretches beyond the protagonist’s predicament, with the film capturing both the freedom and fearfulness of youth.

Last Swim is in cinemas from Friday 4 April.