After a botched suicide attempt, Roy (Shenoah Allen) wakes up in the passenger seat of his caravan, being driven across the country by a mysterious woman in a monkey costume (Nina Conti). Sunlight follows the pair as they flee their problems through an increasingly bizarre series of side quests, all ultimately in the service of starting a banana pontoon business.

While the film begins with a conspicuously self-conscious quirkiness, Monkey copiously swearing and making crude hole jokes within minutes of meeting Roy, Sunlight hits its stride when a genuine friendship (and maybe more) begins to develop between the two. Perhaps it’s the distinctly British comedic sensibility that Conti’s direction brings to the historically American road movie, but Roy and Monkey’s relationship feels incredibly real, finally striking the right balance between quirky, cute and tender.

Monkey’s character also adds a welcome level of complexity to the mix. Unable to cope with the decisions of Jane, the woman inhabiting the monkey suit, she insists that she is now Monkey, a totally different person. As her feelings for Roy grow, however, she must decide whether to keep running and remain Monkey, or whether to face her mistakes and embrace her true self. 

Sunlight was screened as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival and is in cinemas now.