Sherry is a reformed drug addict, recently released from prison, who struggles to reconnect with a world that has moved on without her. Freedom involves choices, and Sherry must choose whether or not to return to heroin, the love of her life. Life on the outside is tough, and Sherry constantly battles between what she needs and what she wants. Sherry is a difficult character to like, yet you find that you can forgive her for many things.

Redemption is offered through her daughter, Alexis. In Sherry’s absence, her brother and his wife care for Alexis, providing her with a stable and loving home. Sherry disrupts the family with her return, and although it is easy to sympathise with Sherry’s need to rekindle her relationship with her daughter, you can’t help but wonder if she will help or destroy Alexis.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is superb in her portrayal of the flawed Sherry. Sherrybaby is Laurie Collyer’s directorial debut, and Collyer must have got down on her knees and thanked the casting gods when Gyllenhaal accepted the role. While the remaining cast makes a laudable attempt to bring reality to their characters, they are hindered by the lack of narrative development. The film’s subplots and supporting characters are unfulfilling and flounder in comparison to Gyllenhaal’s consuming presence.

The question of whether Sherry will win her struggle with addiction becomes unimportant when you realise that the battle will never end. The key is that she is trying, and indeed, her self-absorbed quest to be a good mother may be the only thing that saves her.