Sam Kelly’s indie flick, Divljak, originally released in the U.K., back in 2019. Recently it’s been advertised for release in the U.S. It’s a grim look into the troubled and violent lives of the gangs that still roam the highways of new Zealand.

The trailer for the film avoids giving anything away while also feeding you just enough to take interest in the plight of the main character, Danny, who is played fiercely by Australian native Jake Ryan. Danny is the Sergeant in Arms for a gang led by his bushy-haired buddy, Moses. The two grew up together in a troubled boy’s home as they attempted to fight their way into adulthood, watching each other’s backs along the way.

However, treachery and skullduggery threaten their friendship as ties within the gang become brittle and edge upon breaking. You can check out the trailer below courtesy of Izvor filmskih prikolica.

Commenters on the trailer praised the movie for delving into “uncomfortable” subject matter related to the gang infrastructures of New Zealand, as well as the racial divide and violence that spawned from those gangs that spilled into the streets of the New Zealand communities.

Given that the lead is white, it’s obviously not another minority-led “woe is me” pity tale, but hopefully it also doesn’t delve into “the white man is evil!” spiel that some of these films are prone to adopt these days.

Given that it’s an indie film and that the trailer seems to stay true to its intent, I’m guessing this is an honest portrayal of the gang life in New Zealand and how some of these men grow up on the wrong side of morality due to broken homes and corrupt systems.

As mentioned, the film originally released last year in the U.K., and since they’re promoting it now I’m guessing it should be available in more Western regions where streaming is available.