Transports you directly into the family drama, neighbourhood dynamics and the spontaneity with which youth crime emerges in the poorer areas of Israel.
Much like Breaking Bad, a seemingly good cause- an expensive drug rehabilitation treatment for a suicidal father- serves as the catalyst for the protagonist's need to make a quick buck, this time by selling the drugs, rather than manufacturing them. Luckily he has his (less than) trustworthy group of friends to assist him in this endeavor. As expected, trials and tribulations ensue, fuelled by complications like law enforcement, organized crime, and the power dynamics created by the different personalities and motivations in our teenager group. This ends up making for a very turbulent trip into money land, with the promise of money serving really more as a tool/metaphor for influence and self actualization for the teens who are starving for it. Given how very different their environment is from Walter White's, it provides plenty that is original, and makes for an intriguing, dark, and very close-up view into growing up in the Israeli periphery, with testosterone and camaraderie being key players in this drama.
As I'm a Beershevian myself it is interesting to observe the amount of low-key precision in the depiction of the cultures, psychology and mannerisms involved, and together with the yellow tones of the outside environment and close up shots of the inside one, the show becomes surprisingly realistic, which adds to its intensity. I truly appreciate this show as a work of art, and I think it's easily material for a cult classic. R. I. P Guy Balila.
Much like Breaking Bad, a seemingly good cause- an expensive drug rehabilitation treatment for a suicidal father- serves as the catalyst for the protagonist's need to make a quick buck, this time by selling the drugs, rather than manufacturing them. Luckily he has his (less than) trustworthy group of friends to assist him in this endeavor. As expected, trials and tribulations ensue, fuelled by complications like law enforcement, organized crime, and the power dynamics created by the different personalities and motivations in our teenager group. This ends up making for a very turbulent trip into money land, with the promise of money serving really more as a tool/metaphor for influence and self actualization for the teens who are starving for it. Given how very different their environment is from Walter White's, it provides plenty that is original, and makes for an intriguing, dark, and very close-up view into growing up in the Israeli periphery, with testosterone and camaraderie being key players in this drama.
As I'm a Beershevian myself it is interesting to observe the amount of low-key precision in the depiction of the cultures, psychology and mannerisms involved, and together with the yellow tones of the outside environment and close up shots of the inside one, the show becomes surprisingly realistic, which adds to its intensity. I truly appreciate this show as a work of art, and I think it's easily material for a cult classic. R. I. P Guy Balila.
