Director: Ruben Östlund
Original Title: Play
Language: Swedish

Main Cast: Anas Abdirahman, Sebastian Blyckert, Yannick Diakite, Sebastian Hegmar, Abdiaziz Hilowle, Nana Manu, John Ortiz, Kevin Vaz

Ruben Ostlund’s thoughtful and occasionally harrowing film Play, about youngsters in Sweden being harassed and robbed of their mobile phones and wallets by a gang of other youths, is a fascinating exercise in psychology in a specific social environment.

Set against the inner city backdrop of central Gothenburg, the film details an elaborate scheme known as the “little brother number,” involving role-play and gang rhetoric rather than pure physical violence. Based on a series of real-life incidents recorded by Swedish police, the scheme relies on subtle and implied menace rather than brute force.

A challenging and provocative film that upends racist clichés, Play was heavily debated in the Swedish press at the time of its release.