Dustbin Baby (2008): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2008, Dustbin Baby is a thriller and drama film directed by Juliet May, running about 88 minutes.

What it’s about. The film follows the story of young teen April whose troubled life began in a dustbin - a new born baby, abandoned and alone, not celebrated, not wanted but discarded and left like so much rubbish in an industrial bin behind a pizza parlour. On the morning of her fourteenth birthday April has a devastating row with her foster mother, Marion and leaves the house determined to find out where she really comes from, who she really is and maybe, just maybe, find her real mother. Telling no-one what she's up to or where she's going, April skips school and begins the search she's dreamed about all her life. It's a blur of social workers, children's homes and special schools as April revisits and recalls the key scenes of her fragmented past. It's a painful journey, sometimes frightening but there's also friendship and love and laughter. And now she's started, there's no going back - April must find her mother.

Who’s in it. Dustbin Baby stars Dakota Blue Richards as April, Juliet Stevenson as Marion, Saffron Coomber as Cathy and Poppy Lee Friar as Hannah, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Dustbin Baby has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Dustbin Baby page.

If you liked it. Fans of Dustbin Baby tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.