What in the world of gangsters is it you would actually want? Answer: Nothing.
That's the premise of this movie, together with a desire to present faith in Jesus as the way out of it all.
This could easily be a recipe for being preachy, but on the whole, the filmmakers manage to pull it off. The emptiness of the drugs-cash-fast cars-guns-and-girls world becomes painfully obvious simply by showing it as it is.
In fact, the movie becomes truly claustrophobic to the point where it makes you want to get up and leave the theatre - not because the movie is bad but simply because you feel desperate to experience some sense of freedom again. You just want to get out of that world even when only watching it on film; how desperate those truly involved might feel is something you can't even begin to imagine.
It's certainly not a popcorn flick.
Moreover, a lot of crediblity comes from tthe fact that the film is loosely based on Sebastian Stakset's (Adam) own life, and directed by Liam Norberg who has made a similar journey in his life. These guys have been there. They know what they're talking about. All they have to to is open the lid to the underworld and show how deep the darkness goes for you to feel nauseous and grasp for anything that will save you from it.
Today, Sebastian Stakset has made a complete turnaround and has become a well-known evangelist in Sweden. It's very, very easy to understand his fervour after getting a glimpse of what he has come out of. However, I wish they would have shown a little bit more of that to underscore the message that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, not least for those who are unfamiliar with his story.
There's also a bit of dramatic motivation missing, both for the Adam and for the Frankie characters. You'd want to know what pushes them in their respective directions, especially at the end, where Frankie's actions become a bit inexplicable.
But then again, if this movie helps even a single person, it's been worth it all.
