It’s a shame, given it’s very limited release, that Young Woman and The Sea won’t reach the audience that it deserves, it would appear that Disney have either no faith in the film and, like Netflix, are using its limited theatrical release as an a marketing ploy for its eventual appearance on Disney+.

Beginning in New York City in 1905 where Trudy Ederle (played in adult life by an excellent Daisy Ridley) isn’t expected to survive overnight due to a bought of measles. However much like the rest of her life where she had to overcome numerous challenges, she survives the night and with her sister Margaret (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), becomes a passionate swimmer.

You can see why Disney told Ederle’s story as it’s one of adversity, particularly against male oppression, all the males with the exception of Bill Burgess (a scene stealing Stephen Graham) are either male chauvinists or dumb or in some instances both.

After a not too successful trip to the Paris Olympics in 1924, where Ederle performs poorly due in part to her not being allowed to train on the ship on her way to Paris, the female athletes instead being locked in their cabin with a nun stationed outside their doors, Ederle makes it her life’s ambition to swim the English Channel.

The final third of Young Woman and The Sea takes place mostly in the water as Ederle takes on her biggest challenge. It’s not hard to tell that the film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer as Ederle’s channel attempt plays to the same type of rousing music that played over Top Gun when Tom Cruise was flying in a jet.

Young Woman and The Sea might feel as if it’s battering you over the head with it feminist message at times but look beyond that and it’s a wonderful piece of feel good entertainment that’s worth searching out in the very limited cinemas that it’s showing in.