Kevlar Soul

Maria Eriksson-Hecht's 2025 Swedish film follows two brothers living with a violent, severely alcoholic father. Alex tries to keep his father calm while taking a parent's role for his younger brother. When Alex falls in love, the arrangement comes under strain. The film shows the possibility of escape without making it easy; the narrative makes the responsibility resting on a child its real subject and brings in no rescuer. The cast are young and inexperienced. The images are cold and confined. The close brings no relief. Who it's for: viewers of Nordic realist drama. Who it's not for: viewers for whom domestic violence and alcoholism would be difficult.