Consequences (2018): When Violence Becomes a Language, Silence Is a Choice
Brutal, hypnotic, and startlingly intimate, Consequences (2018) is not just a coming-of-age story — it’s a psychological powder keg set in a juvenile detention center, where every glance is a test, and every gesture can become a weapon. This Slovenian drama burns slow but deep, immersing us in a world where masculinity is currency, and vulnerability could get you destroyed.
Directed with fearless restraint by Darko Štante, the film follows Andrej (a breakout performance by Matej Zemljič), a troubled teen sentenced to a youth 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 alluring.
What begins as a power struggle soon morphs into something far more complex and dangerous: a relationship built on control, attraction, manipulation, and unspoken longing. Andrej’s desire to belong — to be strong, to be respected — is slowly weaponized against him in a system that knows how to crush individuality and feed on silence.
The film thrives on psychological tension rather than overt conflict. Every interaction is loaded. Every shared cigarette or stolen glance adds another layer to Andrej’s emotional prison. The cinematography is cold and raw, filled with harsh fluorescent lighting and tight close-ups that never let you escape the emotional claustrophobia.
Zemljič’s performance is stunning — internal, restrained, but pulsing with pain and confusion. His transformation from submissive to self-aware is both heartbreaking and quietly triumphant. Šturbej, meanwhile, is terrifying in his subtlety — never a cartoonish bully, but a predator born from the same broken system he now rules.
The film doesn’t offer easy answers. There are no heroes here. Just young men shaped by violence, fear, and a desperation to be seen — even if it means being destroyed in the process.
The final scene — quiet, ambiguous, devastating — lingers long after the credits roll.
Rating: 9.0/10 – Raw, riveting, 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 boldest coming-of-age films in recent memory.
