By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Here Are the Young Men (Ireland, 2020): The ability of British films to deliver coming-of-age stories far edgier than their American counterparts can’t be underestimated. Part of this can be traced back to a willingness to stick with their characters’ narrative even when it’s unpleasant. Hollywood’s idea of teens in crisis is Booksmart.

The leads of Here Are the Young Men definitely fit the bill. Matthew (Dean-Charles Chapman, Game of Thrones), Kerney (Finn Cole, Peaky Blinders) and Rez (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Sing Street) are done with school and ready for a summer of debauchery. Their plans are derailed after witnessing a deadly car accident they had nothing to do with, for a change.

Since not a single one of the teens has the emotional tools to deal with trauma, their reactions are extreme and run the gamut. Matthew gives responsibility a go, Fez falls in a deep depression and Kerney becomes the poster boy of toxic masculinity.

Throughout the film’s 96 minutes, the trio bounces off each other and Jen (the excellent Anna Taylor-Joy), Matthew’s love interest and the only member of their circle with clear goals and accurate sense of self. But as the summer progresses, their diverging reactions to the accident drive a wedge between the titular young men and send a couple into a dangerous tailspin.

Here Are the Young Men is very critical of their subjects, their lack of substance and warped vision of their circumstances. The barely-there parental figures are never singled out, but their responsibility is clear: Matthew’s mom gives the teen a modicum of conscience, while Kerney’s dad provides zero guidance or support. The obviously talented lead performers keep the characters watchable even at their worst. The conclusion works as a moral litmus test, but it’s not as compelling as everything that preceded it.

There’s however a narrative device that quickly becomes grating: Kerney likes to imagine himself the guest of a talk show in which his increasingly boorish and violent behavior is celebrated (think The Tonight Showhosted by Jordan Peterson). The amusing bit quickly overstays its welcome and eventually takes you out of the movie. Regardless, on account of its boldness in holding a mirror to wayward youth, Here Are the Young Men is worth watching. 3/5 stars.

Here Are the Young Men is available on VOD/digital, DVD and Blu-ray.