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".
