Orphans and Angels

The needy and traumatized Theresa, who was raped when she was fourteen year-old, meets the handsome John on the street after an accident during a performance on the stage of her friend Kim asking for a low-budget hotel. She offers a ride to a nearby hostel, they date and she brings him home, where he offers Ecstasy with wine to her. Kim advises her that John is a dangerous drug-dealer that has been missing for five years after the death of his girlfriend also called Theresa, but Theresa stays with him, practicing mutual masturbation, sharing her fears and fantasies and being permanently drugged. When John's friend Billy visits Theresa, he reveals dark secrets about her boyfriend, leading to a tragic end.

Directed by Harold Brodie, Orphans and Angels leans on a strong ensemble — Emmeline Hawthorne, Christopher Brown, Cal Wilson — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2003.