Plot
The film opens with teenage Balli at school, where he is bullied by classmates who push him around and destroy his belongings. On his way home, he is attacked by a group of boys. After fighting back, one of them strikes him in the face with a tree branch, leaving him injured and requiring him to wear a mask. At home, his schoolmate Addi and his mother see a news segment about rising youth violence in the country, which mentions the attack. Addi’s mother feels bad for Balli, but Addi remains indifferent. The next day, Addi burns a school textbook with his friends: Siggi, who is wild and impulsive, and Konni, nicknamed "The Animal" for his aggressive behavior and womanizing. Konni tells them that an older boy, Jónas, is threatening to beat him up after discovering that Konni made out with his girlfriend. He asks the others to back him up in case of trouble. Later, the Addi and Siggi run into Balli. They tease him at first but eventually take pity and befriend him. That same day, Konni asks Addi to help confront Jónas. The two ride a moped to a gas station where Jónas and his friends are hanging out, and they attack him before fleeing the scene. The boys begin hanging out at Balli’s home, an old and squalid house, smoking cigarettes and messing around. Balli reveals that his father is dead, his stepfather is in jail, and he lives with his mother and sister who are rarely home. Later, the group climbs onto the roof of an industrial building where they smoke and talk, Addi narrates that both Siggi and Konni have abusive fathers and that their behavior is a way of coping with their troubled home lives. At home, Addi’s mother, a clairvoyant, shares her dreams and their meanings with him which Addi does not believe in. The next day, the boys return to Balli’s house. Despite Balli’s objections, they decide to prank a local boy named Danni who is known for being odd by tricking him into snorting flour, claiming it's cocaine. Danni then brags about having had sexual encounters with animals, which amuses the group. He also claims to have sexually assaulted Balli at school. At first, the boys laugh, thinking it's a joke, but after Balli's intense denial they become unsure and Konni drags Danni outside and beats him, breaking his nose. The group agrees never to speak of the incident again. That night, Addi begins experiencing strange dreams that he suspects might be psychic. Later that evening, the boys meet up with a group of girls from their school. When one of the girls is spat on by a guest at a house party they pass by, Konni storms into the apartment and assaults the partygoers. Addi chases after him, trying to stop him and gets into a fight with some partygoers in the process. After escaping the party, Konni knocks out an older man who lives in the building after he threatens to call the police over the commotion, and the two flee. The friend group praises Konni, but Addi is angry at him for acting recklessly and putting himself in danger. The next day, Addi tells Konni he no longer wants to get into fights. A few days later, the boys are attacked by Jónas and a group of older teens they don't recognize. In response, Konni enlists help from another group of older boys, led by Símon and they all gather at Balli’s house for a party. After experiencing a psychic vision, Addi finds Símon and a friend raping a passed out Konni and manages to stop them by threatening them with Balli's stepfather's shotgun. The next day, Konni denies anything having happened and becomes aggressive when Addi brings it up. That night, Addi dreams of Konni jumping off the industrial building from the start of the movie while holding onto him. Believing it to be a clairvoyant vision, Addi becomes increasingly anxious over the possibility of further violence. The next day, Addi’s estranged, alcoholic father visits and asks to spend time with him. Although reluctant, Addi agrees, and they share a brief outing before his father leaves by bus. Meanwhile, Balli’s stepfather is released from prison. As the boys hang out at Balli’s house, they notice that his family appears afraid of the man. That night, Addi dreams of Balli and his sister being abused by the stepfather which Balli reluctantly confirms when questioned. Despite Balli’s objections, the boys decide to confront his stepfather and attempt to intimidate him to stop. Siggi hesitates, but Konni threatens him into participating. During the confrontation, the stepfather fights back, and in a panic Addi strikes him in the back of the head with a baseball bat, leaving him in a vegetative state. The boys are taken into custody and questioned. Initially, Addi’s mother encourages him to cooperate with the authorities, but when she learns Addi caused the injury, she tells him to stay silent no matter what. Balli ends up taking the blame and is removed from his home and placed in foster care. In the final scene, Addi visits Balli, who is doing much better with his foster parents. Addi tells him that Konni has found a new group of friends and that Siggi has become reclusive, spending most of his time on the computer. Balli thanks Addi for his friendship, and the film ends with the two of them standing together on a bridge over a river.Reception
In his review on ''Awards
References
External links
* 2022 films 2022 drama films Icelandic drama films 2020s Icelandic-language films 2020s coming-of-age drama films Films scored by Kristian Eidnes Andersen {{Iceland-film-stub