Following the more moderate Another Day in Paradise, director Larry Clark steps back into the grit and grime of maximum shock cinema with this outstanding drama. Stylistically echoing his brutal yet dazzling debut feature kids, Clark unleashes a superbly shot movie that's not so much entertainment, as a stomach-churning life lesson. Based on the true story of a sadistic Florida teenager who was hideously murdered by the friends that he victimised, the film presents a terrifying snapshot of alienated young America. Turning from powerful social commentary into an authentic horror movie as the nerve-shredding events unfold, this is an ultra-realistic portrayal of morally corrupt youth, illuminated by startling performances from the largely unknown cast. It's both tragic and painfully confrontational, but stands as an undiluted example of independent movie-making at its most vital and compulsive.