Existential, gritty coming-of-age story set against the stark landscape of eastern Canada.

Adaptated from the novel of the same name and starring the author (Joel Thomas Hynes) in the role of Keith Kavanaugh, an angry young troublemaker-cum-writer consumed by depravity and debauchery and attempting to escape a doomed fate in small town Newfoundland, this film is both darkly comic and at times poignant but overall repeatedly falls flat on its face much like its protaganist.

While a loosely plotted character study it does succeed in capturing the rawness of the novel as demonstrated particularly by the drawn-out cat killing scene. As well, Hynes’ performance is solid while Mylene Savoie does well in the role of Keith’s girlfriend Natasha with a palpable magnetism between the two. However, once we tire of watching Kavanaugh’s pathetic antics mostly we are just left with a group of secondary characters who come across as merely cardboard cutouts. At the extreme of this is the overly wrought portrayal of the Halifax pimp (Hugh Dillon) who tortures Kavanaugh for merely being a nuisance. Two exceptions though are fine supporting performances of Jody Richardson as local predator Francey O’Dea and Bob Joy as Keith’s alcoholic father Robert.

In the end, the second half of the film fails to live up to the first and really doesn’t go anywhere – much like Kavanaugh’s character who’s unflinching petulance eventually adds up to little more than the brow beating of the audience.