Whether it is The Wonder Years on television, or any number of coming-of-age films, they do generally have the common approach of being at least vaguely warm and nostalgic towards the time being recreated; even in stories which have challenges or hardships, ultimately the fact that they are being looked back on by someone older and wiser, manages to at least make such hardships appear part of a journey to a better place. I have nothing against these films, but in the case of Jerrycan there is a certain pleasure in finding it as a rough tale which really doesn't do that to the same degree.
The simple narrative sees a few young boys hanging around outside a chip shop, where they are bullied by an older boy before he then suggests they go blow something up, which essentially they then do. In terms of events for the majority of the running time, there is not much else to it, however it gives us time to be in this group of bored small-town boys, and have the feeling of the peer group. We feel the lead boy being pressured, and his lack of options as he is, and even though the ending has a little bit of humor to it, we see the few small touches of aggression in him that seem to be seeds that reveal that it was not the specific act that saw his peer change him.
It helps the sense of realism that the film is delivered in a very earthy way. In case it is not clear, I'm not someone who works in film, but this does seem to be a deliberate effect since it is not so much that the film just didn't have a polished feel, but more than it aimed not to have one in a controlled manner. The images have no nostalgic warmth to them, but the spotty faces, regular colors and rather in-your-face camera work and proximity all add to the authentic look and feel of the piece. It doesn't have the warmth or fondness of similar tales, but in a way it is better for it because it doesn't feel like it is trying to sell you a memory, so much as just showing it as it is.
