It premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival[1][2] and was released in the UK on 27 September 2019.

[3] Growing up with his foster mother amongst the rolling fields of rural Lincolnshire, Femi's young life seems as idyllic as the landscape.

Nigel Andrew for the Financial Times called it the "hypnotic work of a natural-born film-maker;"[6] Variety's Guy Lodge found it a "stirring study of a black teenager carving out his own identity in modern Britain;"[7] and Andy Lea for the Daily Star said that "excellent acting, great writing and a powerful sense of time and place power this stylish coming-of-age tale."

The site's critical consensus reads, "Distinctive in terms of content, perspective, and insight, The Last Tree vividly depicts the turmoil of adolescence with remarkable grace.

"[9] Shola Amoo won Best Screenplay at the Writers' Guild Awards 2020 [10] At 2019 BIFAs,[11] Sam Adewunmi won Most Promising Newcomer for playing Femi and Ruthxjiah Bellenea received the Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tope "drawing cheers for her tearful acceptance speech in which she thanked teachers and the team on the film.