Two more titles to look forward to with Side Street Films offerings for this month – one a coming-of-age story set in London; the other, a psychological thriller starring Mr Grey himself, Jamie Dornan.

The coming-of-age story Kids in Love premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. Set against the vibrant, colourful backdrop of a bohemian London, we are introduced to Jack (Will Poulter) currently taking a gap year before heading to university. He is unsure of what the future holds; and resists pressure from his parents to make any decisions, fully aware that said decisions will set the course for his future.

Jamie Dornan

Yet, as is all too common for people his age, Jack is unsure of who he is or what he wants, let alone what sort of career he may pursue.

When he befriends Evelyn (Alma Jodorowsky) and Viola (Cara Delevingne), he is caught up in a whole new world of clubs, parties and a completely different lifestyle to what he is used to.

Director Chris Foggin claims that he fell in love with the script from the moment he first read it.

“I believe that there are not enough films that explore real life and everything that comes with it,” he says. “Audiences are starved of stories that they can identify with, so this is why a contemporary story like Kids in Love is so relevant now.”

Will Poulter, Alma Jodorowsky and Cara Delevingne.

He adds that the script offered him and his team a wonderful opportunity to explore life as it is lived with all its humour and quirks. It was a story about the complexity of human interaction with all its uncertainties and oddness.

“I wanted to mix laugh out loud moments with poignant, authentic drama. I wanted the audience to go on a journey with our characters as they set off in search of love.”

Foggins is inspired by the likes of Woody Allen, Richard Linklater, David O Russell, and Spike Jonze. He describes them as filmmakers who craft drama and comedy out of everyday situations; teasing and tantalising the audience with all the complexities of every-day life.

I believe that there are not enough films that explore real life and everything that comes with it

“Kids in Love is a coming of age movie that we can all relate to, because we have all been there,” he concludes.

In the thriller The 9th Life of Louis Drax, nine-year-old Louis Drax has survived eight near-death experiences. He’s been crushed, poisoned, electrocuted, frozen, broken and drowned. And yet, for some strange reason, he does not die.

When another accident inevitably happens, Louis is put in the care of paediatric neurologist, Dr Allan Pascal, who is determined to uncover the truth of Louis’ bizarre existence.

Cara Delevingne and Alma Jodorowsky in Kids in Love.

The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Liz Jensen, which was published in 2004. It was optioned by Mirage Enterprises, the production company of late filmmakers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella. When Minghella passed away in 2008, producer Timothy Bricknell, with whom the director had often worked, and Minghella’s son Max formed a new production company. Not long after, Max Minghella read Jensen’s novel, and once finished, he set about writing the adaptation himself, because, as he himself explains, “the universe and imagery that Liz created were so instantly cinematic to me. I could also immediately identify ways to make it personal, which I think is an important piece of the puzzle when you’re adapting material. You want to feel that there is something you can contribute. Something that is unique to you.”

Having worked with director Alexandre Aja a few years before, Minghella brought him on board to direct the film. The director, in turn, had been looking for a project that featured a mysterious story that somehow related to childhood. The 9th Life of Louis Drax seemed to be the perfect fit. Aja was especially drawn in by the combination of a Hitchcockian story with a touch of the supernatural. Bringing to mind films like Vertigo, Gone Girl, and Pan’s Labyrinth, Aja saw a story with many levels. He noted there is something very, very, very sophisticated in all the layers in the story. “You don’t know if you’re following the love story with the doctor who’s falling in love with the mother of his patient or if you’re following the story of that mother that wants to save the kid or if you’re following the love story between the violent husband and his son,” he explains.

The 9th Life of Louis Drax stars Jamie Dornan as Dr Pascal; Sarah Gadon as Natalie Drax; Aaron Paul as Peter Drax, Oliver Platt as Louis’ psychiatrist, Dr Perez; Molly Parker as detective Dalton; Barbara Hershey as Peter’s mother and Aiden Longworth as Louis.

Kids in Love and The 9th Life of Louis Drax will be screened at Eden Cinemas, as part of their Side Street Films venture as from Wednesday.