Drawn to the group’s charismatic recruiter, Jake (Shia LaBeouf), Star experiences the sweet taste of freedom on the open highway. But the violent politics that define her new family are never far away from the surface of their nomadic lifestyle.

Ahead of the network premiere of American Honey on Film4, here are five reasons why you should tune in…

It’s another critical smash from Andrea Arnold

This unique British filmmaker won acclaim by writing and directing 2003 Oscar-winning short Wasp, followed by the dramas Red Road, Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights. But it’s in television where she’s recently become more of a household name. Having helmed four episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent, Arnold recently directed season 2 of addictive HBO drama Big Little Lies.

It’s inspired by real experience

After reading an article in the New York Times about mag crews, Arnold’s interest was piqued enough to research the culture by immersing herself in it. “I met kids from mag crews,” she told The Guardian. “I stayed in all the same places they would stay, I drove the routes they would drive.”

The cast was picked in an unusual way

Keen to work with unknown actors, Arnold used her favoured method of “street casting” for the movie, which means she hung around beaches and parking lots to find members of her cast. Lead actor Sasha Lane was approached by the director while chilling with a friend on the beach. Take that, traditional casting techniques!

It bagged a big award at Cannes

Nominated for the coveted Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, American Honey went on to the win the esteemed Jury Prize. It was the second time Arnold triumphed in this category, following her success with Fish Tank in 2009. Magnifique.

Shia LaBeouf got 12 tattoos during filming

Because Shia LaBeouf. Travelling from city to city with the cast and crew, visiting local tattoo parlours became part of the itinerary. The actor even got inked on his knees with matching Missy Elliott portraits. “I don’t love Missy Elliott like I wanna get two Missy Elliott tattoos,” he told Variety. “But you’re in a tattoo parlour, and… peer pressure.”

When is American Honey on TV?

Catch American Honey at 10.50pm on Monday 9 December on Film4/HD (CH 428/429).