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FOURTEEN SUCKS is a story about 14-year-old Emma, a ferociously cool girl, who during summer break feels trapped inbetween two worlds. On one hand her old boring childish friends, on the other hand her older brother Markus’ cool and tough crowd. As a step towards shedding her old skin she goes to a wild party with her brother’s friends, in spite of his loud protests. But the difference between the two worlds is greater than Emma could ever imagine and before the night is over a drunken Emma has been assaulted by Patrik, one of her brother’s best friends. The new world she so desperately wanted to belong to is a place where fights, bullshit and drinking parties are everyday events. When things turn really bad for Emma, she turns all feelings inwards, without telling anyone what happened to her or acting against it. Rumours are flying, no one talks, silence rules and her way to finding herself in this turmoil is long and crooked. Emma’s brother Markus suspects something happened to her and tries to reach her, even though he himself struggles with insecurities and teenage angst. He is vibrating with anger and frustration, wanting to be close to his little sister but being unable to. Markus clashes with friends, parents and his girlfriend in his pursuit of finding his little sister’s attacker. Both Emma and Markus bottle things up effectively in a world without understanding parents, tell-all best friendships or a functioning social system to protect teenagers, in this middle class suburbia. Emma is torn between wanting to be accepted by her brother at the same time as alienating herself from him, he on the other hand is torn between defending her and distancing himself from her – both are torn between teenage anger and the love they are unable to express. And then Emma meets shy and gawky skater Aron, who contrary to her parents and friends, know how to listen. He is not part of the it-crowd and he seems to be the only person who manages to reach her. The first love is slow, confused, awkward and full of misunderstandings. A cautious growing love story evolves, where Emma with Aron’s help tries to sort out who she really is. FOURTEEN SUCKS is a film that highlights the everyday issues we avoid. It is also a wake-up call to all parents who unknowingly choose not to engage in their teenagers. Life is never as difficult and dangerous as in the borderline between being a child and a grown-up, and it never hurts that much. At the same time FOURTEEN SUCKS is a film about human relations and the importance of having someone to talk to. A dark love story in the terrible boundary between youth and adulthood. FOURTEEN SUCKS is also a sister and brother story, about their fumbling journey back to their relationship. FOURTEEN SUCKS is a film about how wonderful and how awful it can be to be fourteen, because being fourteen really sucks.

“Feels 100% real ... more credible performances have rarely been seen.
The fi lmmakers manage to catch a realistic tone that would make Truffaut envious.”  moviebox.se