Following on from Darren Mooney's much-admired A Date for Mad Mary, this elegant, similarly-vibed miniature exists on the fringes of budding artistry. Darragh O'Toole (Red Rock, Moone Boy) is Tom, an aspiring, teenage musician who is repeatedly crippled with bouts of stage fright.

A lonely, rural kid, his insecurities are only made worse by the sudden death of his single father. Heartbroken, he sets out for Dublin in search of his estranged mother. Along the way, he encounters a most unhelpful mugger, a sex pest, and Jess (Emily Lamey), an oddly-shoed, latchkey teen who takes Tom under her wing.

The musical theme and lovely handmade feel would mark this low-key, indie charmer as This Year's Once, except that Gerard Walsh's minimalist drama is composed of even smaller dramatic arcs and movements: picture John Carney's fine Oscar-winner after professional declutterer Marie Kondo has had at it. Darragh O'Toole is similarly, suitably restrained, even when Tom is at his teariest. Emily Lamey as Jess carefully inverts her role's manic pixie dream girl potential with a semi-maternal dynamic. She is the voice of reason, not just the object of desire.

Gerard Walsh's previous feature, A Day Like Today, was made remarkable by its €500 budget. South demonstrates that there's more to the writer-director than Rodriguezy micro-funds. We await his third feature with great interest.