It’d be easy to shrug off Fish Tank as just another downbeat slice of no-fun social realism.

Mia (Katie Jarvis), certainly seems to be leading a fairly grim life: a teenage girl growing up in a UK high-rise out in the middle of nowhere (the title could refer to the sense of living life out in full view, it’s never spelt out), she’s foul-mouthed, unpredictably violent, and impulsive, especially when she decides to try and rescue a horse tied up on a stretch of wasteland from tormentors who don’t seem to have a problem turning their attentions to her.

Meanwhile, her mum (Kierston Wareing), who’s a lot more interested in having a good time than being a parent, has hooked up with Connor (Michael Fassbender). He’s surprisingly supportive of Mia’s dreams of becoming a hip-hop dancer, lending her his camera so she can film her routines. He even takes the whole family out on a day trip; perhaps he’s the rare boyfriend who really is interested in creating some kind of family life with them . Or maybe he’s just interested in Mia – she’d certainly like to think so.

So far so grim, and things do take a darker turn as the film progresses. That won’t come as any surprise to those who saw writer / director Andrea Arnold’s first film, the bleak revenge tale Red Road. But just like her first film, here Arnold makes every effort to put us inside the thoughts of her lead – and unlike Red Road, it turns out the head of a teenage girl isn’t simply a harsh machine of revenge.

So rather than being yet another look at the plight of the urban poor, this becomes a lyrical, almost poetic vision of a life that may not be perfect – and there are plenty of harsh moments here – but is a lot more varied and engaging than most films of its type. It’s almost uplifting at times as Mia grabs what moments of pleasure she can from a life that doesn’t give up anything without a fight, and the joy she gets from a simple family fishing trip makes the darker moments to come all the more painful.

It helps that first-time actor Jarvis’ performance is totally convincing as she moves towards some kind of maturity, thanks in part to Arnold’s technique of only giving Jarvis the dialogue she needed for the day’s filming and then filming the story in sequence. Jarvis didn’t know where the story was heading, and it gives her performance a sense of discovery that keeps it alive when a more knowing performance would turn it into a cliche.

There are a few clunky moments here – an end twist involving a dancing job might be plausible, but that doesn’t make it any less obvious. But for the most part this is that rare thing: a film that actually feels like real life in all it’s complexity. Even if it’s not a life you’d want to live.

Fish Tank opens in cinemas on Thursday, March 11.
You can view the Fish Tank movie trailer here on TheVine.