October 15, 2025

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Aftermath (2018): When violence becomes language, silence is a choice

Brutal, hypnotic, and surprisingly intimate, Aftermath (2018) is not just a coming-of-age story, but a psychological powder keg set in a juvenile detention center, where every glance is a test and every gesture can become a weapon. This slow-paced but profound Slovenian drama immerses us in a world where masculinity is commonplace and vulnerability can destroy you.

Directed with brave restraint by Darko Štante, the film follows Andrej (a standout performance by Matej Zemljič), a troubled teenager sentenced to a juvenile correctional facility after a violent outburst. There, he meets Željko (played with magnetic menace by Timon Šturbej), the alpha figure of the group: charismatic, ruthless, and strangely attractive.

What begins as a power struggle soon transforms into something far more complex and dangerous: a relationship based on control, attraction, manipulation, and an unspoken longing. Andrej’s desire to belong—to be strong, to be respected—gradually becomes a weapon against him in a system that knows how to crush individuality and thrive on silence.

The film thrives on psychological tension rather than overt conflict. Every interaction is intense. Every shared cigarette or furtive glance adds another layer to Andrej’s emotional prison. The cinematography is cold and stark, filled with harsh fluorescent lighting and tight close-ups that never allow an escape from the emotional claustrophobia.

Zemljič’s performance is breathtaking: internal, restrained, yet throbbing with pain and confusion. His transformation from submission to self-awareness is both heartbreaking and quietly triumphant. Šturbej, for his part, is terrifying in his subtlety: never a cartoonish bully, but a predator born of the same broken system that now rules.

The film offers no easy answers. There are no heroes. Only young people shaped by violence, fear, and the desperation to be seen, even if it means being destroyed in the process.

The final scene—quiet, ambiguous, and devastating—lingers long after the end credits.

Rating: 9.0/10 – Raw, captivating, and painfully human, Consequences explores the fragility of identity in a world where control is survival. A stunning piece of queer cinema and one of the most daring coming-of-age films of recent times.