Some films aim for profundity; others simply lean into the chaos. Serbian director Miroslav Terzić and screenwriter Bojan Vuletić’s 3 Weeks After offers the former in spades, delivering a lazy yet provocative dive into the toxic world of high school youth, wrapped in a soundtrack of shitty techno-pop and simmering dread.
The film immediately establishes a miserable, cynical tone, serving as a dirge to the lives of teenagers grappling with their apparent obsession with bullying. From a brazenly portentous opening shot of a burning apartment block to a fantastically dumb fire-based finale, 3 Weeks After feels less like a narrative and more like an improvised right-wing polemic on the sorry state of modern youth—a reality that seems perpetually absent from the screen.
The story centers around the arrival of the perma-glum Tsotsa (Jovan Ginić) for a school coach trip to Bulgaria. The supervising teachers, cheerfully oblivious, seem shocked that such an extracurricular adventure is even allowed. As details about a recent horrific event surface, the collective reaction is one of shock and immediate judgment, suggesting that those in charge should be swiftly dealt with—a sentiment reflected in Tsotsa’s own recent time spent in a psychiatric ward.
The dynamic among the students is sharply divided. While some characters offer sympathy, the majority are out-and-proud in their hatred of Tsotsa, comfortable linking his actions to the recent tragedy. This tension is amplified by the sheer ineptitude of the adult supervisors, who conveniently ignore safeguarding concerns and let the students engage in a raw display of the Lord of the Flies mentality.
The film employs stylized inserts, blippy electronic soundtracks, and endless tracking shots through grim landscapes, leaning toward an angular, feel-bad arthouse aesthetic. It constantly teases the audience with the promise of violent release, building a context that allows the bullies to go full-tilt nasty on their shell-shocked victim.
While there are echoes of Brian De Palma’s Carrie in its inexorable drift toward transgression, the film ultimately falls short. It avoids the wit, empathy, and originality that made the original cinematic experience resonate. In tackling the heavy subject of bullying, 3 Weeks After settles into a predictable trap: presenting the aggressor with irrational hatred and the victim as an easy punching bag, offering little nuance or genuine insight into the complex human discord at play.
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Credit: Little White Lies
