Only your family can truly get under your skin, harvest deep resentment, and bring out our worst qualities, which is why comedies about families and their dynamics can produce the darkest humour. Mother-daughter power struggles, sibling rivalries and even conflicting parenting styles are all spread bear in this ridiculously funny, dark comedy from director Natalie Bailey. Audrey really will make you scoff at the absurdity and laugh when it really is not appropriate.

Ronnie prides herself on being a fantastic mother, believing she gave up her acting career so her daughter Audrey could have one instead. But when Audrey accidentally falls off the roof and into a coma, Ronnie sees that she has no choice but to live her daughter's life so that Audrey can still keep her dreams alive. All while her other daughter Norah makes regrettable choices and her husband Cormack is free to lie about the whole series of events in his grief group.

To say that Audrey is an irreverent comedy would be to water down the tight quips and downright absurd scenarios. The jokes about sex, age and disability are rife throughout but never at the expense of anyone. We get to see how the family dynamics in their day to day, with everyone revolving around Audrey, who very vocally rails against her mother's plans for her. The coma, when it hits, feels like a blessing in disguise, allowing each family member to achieve something on their own. Ronnie, in her mid-40s passes for her 16-year-old daughter (only in a comedy), Cormack finds comfort in a new friendship and aspires to write and Norah finally gets to shine taking fencing classes.

Though Ronnie is clearly controlling her daughter's life, Audrey is by far not a sympathetic person and positioned at the antagonist. Spitting poison whenever she can, it clear that she is somehow the glue and the deterrent in the family so it's actually quite satisfying when she ends up in a coma, though more enjoyable when she finally wakes up to tear apart the weird progress her family has made without her. Things do take a darker and slightly sinister turn in latter half of the film, but someone how, the twisted comedy stops the film from veering away into a serious tone.

Despite being named after one person, every single member of the Lipsick family has their time to shine, sometimes in the worst way. Jackie van Beek as Ronnie is on fire throughout the film, never missing a beat. Her comedy styling is upfront and unashamed, oozing charisma even when her character is desperate and flailing. Hannah Diviney as Norah has some great moments, particularly her dance scene, and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Cormack delivers the comedy in more subtle ways. Josephine Blazier also makes an impact despite being in a coma for most of the film.

Even though there is absolute gold that is spun throughout the film, it isn't without a few annoyances. The stereotypical depiction of ‘drama' schools is near done to death in comedies and more serious shows in a way that feels old hat. With everything else happening in the film, it's shame that we see the same old acting classes such as embodying a tree and reciting obnoxious monologues. Aside from this overdone stereotype, there are a few jokes that when fully revealed or mentioned a few times lose their humour but on the whole Audrey keeps the comedy rolling.