As a child, you may well have been subject to the phrase ‘little horror’ as, curiously, a term of affection. Of course it would have been completely unmerited, and could even be argued that it was merely a reflection of some questionable parenting.

As anyone of a sound mind knows, the real horrors surface in the teens, when hormones wreak havoc.

This Malaysian film manages to have a foot in both camps, following a young student’s unusual path through puberty.

Attending senior year of her school is 11-year-old Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal). She is popular with other students and has loyal friends, as she has an outgoing personality that really shines.

Everything changes however when her period starts; she is the first in her school to do so, and is quickly made a social pariah because of it.

But perhaps it’s a good thing that they treat her a little differently and keep their distance, as this is no normal puberty that Zaffan is going through, as hers is truly transformative, that could spark danger for all those around her.

This is a spirited and engaging directorial debut for Amanda Neil Eu, which is part coming-of-age drama and part homage to Carrie.

Due to its limited budget - less than €1 million – the special effects are more endearing than scary, but that’s not the point. Eu gets some wonderful performances from her young cast, many of whom, like the exceptional Zairizal, make their screen debuts, and the first-time director does remarkably well coaxing such confident performances from them all.

She also keeps it playful, even during some of the darker scenes, making the film about friendships more than anything else. But perhaps there were reasons for this, with the Malaysian government possibly being a little heavy-handed with their films as this was released censored, with that version of the film being disowned by the director. They certainly have a history of it, even going as far as banning certain films, including Jaws, Schindler’s List and of all things Babe, to name just a few. So you could say then that at least this was lucky enough to get released at all.

Its mix of coming-of-age and horror is certainly unusual for a Malaysian film, and it shows an impressive level of creativity from Eu, considering the restraints she must have had, in delivering a charming film, peppered with a dark, fairytale theme, making for an accomplished start to a career that will hopefully be allowed to blossom.