Axolotl Overkill

Unlike the protagonist of Klip (Serbia, 2012), teen Mifti does not allow her self-worth to be defined by her lovers. Either misunderstanding or being intentionally misled in her relationship with middle-aged Alice, Mifti naturally reacts with pain and anger, but any bad choices she makes arise from instinctual attempts (without forethought) to find or please herself, not others.

Axolotl Overkill shows a slice of life of a teen with too little parental guidance and too much urban opportunity for self-destructive behavior. But it's just one slice, from the middle of the loaf. Unlike a true coming-of-age tale, nothing here hints that sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll are new to Mifti; she's been like this for a while, apparently. And unlike Goodbye First Love (France, 2011), Axolotl Overkill shows no maturation of the main character. The salamander called "axolotl" is neotenic - its development halts at a juvenile phase, never taking adult form, and we are left expecting Mifti won't grow up any time soon, either. The resulting storyline may thus be less satisfying to many viewers (including me), but it's a realistic portrayal of one possible youth experience, of a nature that may be unfamiliar to many.

It's very well acted, directed, and filmed. It lacks traditional story-telling closure. Whether it has heart, whether you will feel empathy for the young character, depends on each viewer. It's worth watching once.