Going in, it is tempting to make a great deal of assumptions about Miss Stevens, because its outer-most layer feels like familiar territory. An unhappy female High School teacher takes three students to a weekend drama competition, and a transformative experience ensues. This is a dramatic plot device that we have seen play out many times on the big screen but – as the film begins its powerful opening sequence, set to the haunting musical saw stylings of Natalia Paruz – it quickly becomes clear that Miss Stevens is actually something else entirely.

This is the directorial debut of Julia Hart (The Keeping Room), who co-wrote the screenplay with producer, Jordan Horowitz (La La Land). What has been created is a stunning work of misdirection, though it is neither contrived nor manipulative. Rather, it works in concert with the habitual expectations of the audience to weave a tale run-through with absolute truth.