This graphic, violent and uncomfortable exposé of the use of child soldiers in poor African countries is as harsh as its subject matter suggests. Filmed on location in Liberia with a cast of nonprofessionals, it has a suitably raw and visceral feel, revealing how children are brutally taken from their families, fed drugs, given guns and then pumped up with inflammatory (and hypocritical) revolutionary politics. The story of Johnny Mad Dog (Christophe Minie) develops against this bleak backdrop. Already a veteran of warfare at the age of 15, Johnny is beginning to tire of the guerilla life when a chance meeting with teenager Laokole (Daisy Victoria Vandy) gives him the impetus that he needs to leave it all behind. This sparsely drawn love story offers a glimmer of hope within a hellish scenario. However, despite its finessed and shocking detail, this well-intentioned film never gives enough respite from the horror and subsequently feels like a gruelling slog.