In this much-lauded Danish coming-of-age drama, teen Tobias is sent to the countryside for the Summer to stay with his grandparents, where his desperation for connection and affection leads him down some dangerous paths. Very big teenage issues are all thrown into the mix - parental separation, mental health, mortality, bereavement, body image, sexuality and self-harm - but for most of the film they are handled without histrionics and with a gentleness that is effective and considered throughout. The film - and indeed the story- is shot with a quiet and simple clarity as shots linger beautifully, doing an excellent job of showing the young man struggling to connect with the world in which he finds himself. It has three clear acts, the first act melancholy but with moments of optimism, the second dealing with profound family tragedy and worrying red flags popping up in Tobias's behaviour, and the third showing the realities and consequences of his choices that is both harsh and brutal compared with what has come before. The film is carried by a wonderfully sensitive performance by Noa Risbro Hjerrild as Tobias, with a notable supporting turn by Jens Jorn Spottag as his caring grandfather. This is a gentle and fragile movie that plays well with its sad restraint until it moves into the frank, gritty cautionary territory of the final act.
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