Since winning the Oscar for Best Actress in 2004 for her outstanding work in ‘Monster’, Charlize Theron hasn’t exactly done much with her career.

Her major film roles in that time have been less-than-stellar (‘Aeon Flux’, ‘Hancock’) and everything else she lent her name to were productions that were barely seen so ‘Young Adult’ almost feels like the first thing she has done since bringing the Academy Award home.

The film itself is being marketed as a quirky comedy in the vein of ‘Juno’, which only makes sense as ‘Juno’ scribe Diablo Cody is the screenwriter here, but it is really anything but. Yes there are some snappy one-liners peppered throughout but don’t be fooled by ‘Young Adult’s demeanour. It’s dark, of ten depressing, and all a little too real - not that there is anything wrong with that.

As Mavis Gary, a ghostwriter for a series of teenage-themed novels returning to her hometown in the hopes of snagging her now-married former beau (despite him essentially inviting her to celebrate the arrival of his daughter), Theron is marvellous. She is absolutely stunning, and her looks are certainly a major part of the character, but for the majority of the film she is so intensely unlikeable that it’s a testament to the actress that we put up with her insane logic.

She is so intent on winning her ex back that she can’t see how blissfully happy he is, and her role as an author where her characters are all high-school girls clearly displays her lack of maturity and that the ‘young adult’ tag is more than just a referral to the genre of books she writes. Theron has right fully scored accolades for her role in this film, and with Patton Oswalt (as a crippled former classmate who ends up being the unlikeliest companion) delivering beautiful support, together the two create moments of much-needed heart in this feel-bad dramedy that certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but there’s an engaging character to be studied if you dare to delve deeper beyond the celluloid surface.