This is undoubtedly one of the most controversial films of the year, and one that will polarise audiences. The problem for many in this debut feature from director Thomas Clay and co-writer/producer Joseph Lang is that it culminates in a grotesque act of violence more akin to video nasties, prompting the question of whether such an explicit scene was actually necessary or was cynically included for pure shock value. Yet if one puts this question to one side and considers the rest of the film’s merits, it is indeed an impressive and provocative film which seeks to address the problem of disillusionment amongst today’s teenagers and how drugs and wanton violence fill the gaps in their otherwise bored existences. This is done through following the protagonist Robert Carmichael, a quiet and gifted musician, as he falls in with the wrong crowd and begins to adopt their attitude towards life. There are some signs of brilliance in the film which certainly highlight Clay’s potential as a director, in particular one scene where the camera circles round a living room in a single shot as the boys perpetrate an act of violence whilst Tony Blair argues the case for the invasion of Iraq on TV, but the film will almost certainly only be talked about in context of its deeply disquieting ending. OH
