To best friends Johnny and Fred, their final teenage years aren't so promising neither so bright, as they spend their days skipping school, trying to have some fun but mostly they go in some small pranks and moments of complete boredom.

Fred (Pierre Lottin) is quite extroverted and explosive, but with zero talents to pick up girls from their smalltown. Johnny (Finnegan Oldfield) is more reserved, attentive, but also has a teenager with many problems at home, dealing with a father suffering from PTSD, a man prone to attacks for no reason.

Life doesn't promise much and they express their juvenile rebellion just fine. But one small act of them will trigger a point of no return.

"Johnny" takes its time to develop it's coming of age story that also has a lot to show to the adults about to watch. It gets the audience attention and anxiety with each scene, as we wonder what could possibly happen in this small pacific place and with two boys just expressing themselves. It's not like the steal cars, rob places or go into fights. They simply make some erratic advances on girls, or shout words of contempt about the place they live. As for Johnny, the serious youngster of the duo, we follow him closer than the lone Fred. We worry about the apparent sense of happy household brought by the mom, but to him things take a different turn, with a numb father that snaps at any small disturbance.

With the latter scenario (little explored in the movies), we get a dynamite of a film, one that makes you see life and suffering in a different perspective. For a brief moment, it had all the makings of falling into some expected cliché when the story turned more serious, but writer/director Bruno Ballouard found his way to avoid it. Yet, for the result and moments, I still felt a big chill in its final silent moments. Something deep resonates afterwards.

Oldfield and Lottin delivered great performances, the kind that even their silence speak volumes. It's not the type of film that moves you in a sentimental way, but it definitely gets some reaction and some feeling related with its last acts. It might hit you with memories of your formative years, the kind of person you were then and how much one grow (or not) from those years. For young audiences, there's something of a cautionary tale in it, though I don't see it as an exact intention. It's a mere reflection of generational shocks and the approach needed and given as both sides - teens and adults - don't comprehend one another. 9/10.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Two teenagers spend their whole time looking for male figures to face, with some amusement or repulsion, in the very small town where they live.

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Finnegan Oldfield and Pierre Lottin in Johnny (2011)

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