MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Short film
Poster for The Invention

The Invention

2018 · 19 min

A quiet, gritty slice of childhood mischief that lingers on small stakes and hard-won lessons.

Directed by
Leo McGuigan
Genres
Drama
Starring
Luke Walford, Luke Kelly, Maitiu McGibbon
Overview
In 1960s Belfast, a boy comes of age while devising a plan to steal cigarettes.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: The Invention

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Leo McGuigan
Genres
Drama
Starring
Luke Walford, Luke Kelly, Maitiu McGibbon
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • coming-of-age
  • class
  • family
  • survival
Places
  • big city
  • home
Era
period
Audience
teen
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour3
Realism8
Romance1
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like The Invention

Movie

The 400 Blows

1959

A poignant, naturalistic portrait of misunderstood youth, blending tender moments with quiet despair and a lingering sense of yearning.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
99 min
Details
The 400 BlowsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Armageddon Time

2022

A quiet, bittersweet memory piece that lingers on small betrayals and the weight of growing up aware of injustice.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • class
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
114 min
Details
Armageddon TimeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Schoolgirls

2020

A quiet, observant coming-of-age story that feels like a gentle, bittersweet memory of adolescence.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
97 min
Details
SchoolgirlsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Renoir

2025

A quiet, tender coming-of-age story that immerses you in a child's perspective amid family illness and urban loneliness, balancing sadness with warmth.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details
RenoirHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Just an Illusion

2026

A gentle, bittersweet coming-of-age story that balances warmth and unease, inviting you to linger on the small moments of family and first love.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
119 min
Details
Just an IllusionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Belfast

2021

A tender, nostalgic memory piece seen through a child's eyes, mixing warm family humour with the quiet ache of leaving home.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
98 min
Details
BelfastHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Slingshot

1993

A bittersweet, rebellious coming-of-age tale that balances warmth and hardship with a sharp eye for injustice.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • class
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details
The SlingshotHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

La próxima estación

1982

A quiet, observant family drama that simmers with unspoken tensions and the awkward urgency of adolescence.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • class
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
95 min
Details
La próxima estaciónHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Charm City Kings

2020

A raw, slow-burning coming-of-age drama that immerses you in Baltimore's bike culture and the seductive pull of street life.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
125 min
Details
Charm City KingsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

We the Animals

2018

A lyrical, sensory immersion into a boy's inner world, blending tender moments with undercurrents of volatility and quiet longing.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
93 min
Details
We the AnimalsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Father's Estate

1980

A quiet, unhurried coming-of-age drama with a wintry, wistful mood and a strong sense of place.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • class
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
93 min
Details
Father's EstateHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

California

2015

A tender, bittersweet coming-of-age story that captures the confusion and heartbreak of adolescence with warmth and honesty.

Melancholic, earnest · about coming-of-age and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • coming-of-age
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details
CaliforniaHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Leo McGuigan
Written by
Leo McGuigan
Starring
Luke Walford, Luke Kelly, Maitiu McGibbon, Frankie McCafferty, Adam Dougal, Mary Lindsay, Syd Ralph, Jenna Byrne
Runtime
19 min

TMDBIMDb