Posledice

I'm sure there are boneheaded, knuckle-dragging yobs in every country but it looks like Slovenia has more than its fair share of them. The actors playing the thugs were perfectly suited to their roles especially Matej Zemljic playing Andrej who we realise from the beginning is different from his amoral fellows even before he lands in the institution. He's not wicked per se, just lost in a sea of contradictions regarding his lower middle class origins, his sexuality, his running with a richer pack while having no money. He wants to fit in.

He is the same in the juvenile centre. He wants to be mates with the bad boys to the extent of surpassing them but we can see it's not really in him. And he gets infatuated with Zele, the leader of the guys.

The story follows Andrej's desperate wish to be a part of the gang and how this is manipulated by the sociopathic Zele. The group commits worse and worse crimes and assaults and the one who gets into trouble for absconding is always Andrej.

Zele wields his sexuality like an axe to ensnare Andrej but in a couple of scenes he looks as though he cares, but the portcullis comes crashing down again. The final disillusion leads to the shocking events of the final scenes. The ending is as perfect as it could possibly have been with Andrey contemplating his future after burning his bridges with his colleagues and, indeed, society.

I didn't look at the clock once during the film. The casting and dialogue were perfect, the length was just right. A definite "must see".

The movie portrays the severe and brutal reality of the still very present mindset in the Balkans, which includes toxic masculinity, delinquency, drug-abuse and homophobia, and which can have especially dark consequences for LGBTQ+ youth in these countries. Heartbreaking, heavy and at times very hard to watch, but unfortunately a story which is real life for many young adults.

The first opinion I have on the movie is that it has not many clichés in it, which is something you usually see, and it surprised me for not having too many. I usually don't mind clichés and I even hoped for some more in this movie, but I did appreciate the lack of it nonetheless.

The movie was OK to watch, there were things that just passed and could have been deeper, or simply less superficial. What about emotions, what about showing contemplation, what about providing some small additions to give the characters more character?

About the protagonist and supporting actors, I have to say, I never really was convinced about the role he took upon himself. I also did not feel a gay vibe and wasn't convinced there was true homosexual attraction. The movie might have just been about men experimenting as I did not feel a genuine engaging spark between those interacting. The move is superficial in so many ways, you can easily fall asleep. This is a television movie.

The characters are real bad, but they are not repulsive. In fact, I connect with them and feel for them. The story is good. I wish the film was longer. The ending just leaves me wanting more.