Playground

Not so much a portrait of playground bullying as a sensory immersion straight into the heart of children abusing other children physically and emotionally. It contains outstandingly natural performances enhanced by spot-on cinematic choices. Told almost entirely from the height of its young protagonists, the film plunges viewers into a world of seemingly unavoidable unease, grabbing us from the first frame and rarely letting up its relentless focus on stoic suffering vs daring to upset the status quo. Belgian newcomer Laura Wandel is marked out as a talent to watch.