Clearly going for the use-of-f-word record, this is an unflinching and uncompromising look at gang culture in New Zealand through the story from boyhood to impressionable teen through to manhood of the heavily tattooed central character Damage, based on real accounts. The Antipodean setting provides an interesting cultural twist on what could have been simply another show of the toxic masculinity inherent in such movie takes on this lifestyle, but the impressive performance of the towering Jake Ryan is eminently watchable, even more so as he even generates some sympathy for this violent and seemingly adrift soul. The backstory integrates well with understanding the man he is today, and the relationships between the gang members come across as effectively natural. At times this film is not an easy watch, but it tells a compelling story well.
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