PK (Gage Munroe) (Drafthouse Films)

Mixed with the themes of Stand by Me and the rules of capture the flag, 13 preteens embark on a game of war played in the woods. There are four rules. (1) Generals pick teams and location of the base; the base cannot be moved. (2) When you are shot, you are paralyzed until you count to 10 “steamboats.” (3) When hit with a grenade, you are dead. Go home. (4) You win when your general captures the other team’s flag. And pay attention to the weapons and don’t blink.

Initially when we meet Kwon (Siam Yu), he carries a gun made of wood, rope, and a tin can. As he approaches the enemy during the game, he now holds a semiautomatic war gun and fires away. However, even though we hear the roar of the bullets and see the smoke rising from the gun, his enemy is not riddled with bullet holes nor soaked in blood while he lies on the ground counting steamboats. Kwon additionally looks for a grenade—a balloon filled with red paint—to send his enemy home. While the audience knows that the weapons are only real in the imagination of these youngsters, the psychological effect of seeing these youngsters fire real weaponry is unsettling. The lack of bloodshed keeps the cringing from the audience in check.

Toward the end, we begin to feel like these kids are just bad shots since they don’t seem to hit anyone, but we are a bit relieved. Because the shooting of the weapons is so intense, we see reminders throughout that the guns are not real. They are sometimes shown as the sticks and string that they are. Jess (Mackenzie Munro) is not really carrying a crossbow, it’s a sling shot. Frost (Alex Cardillo) finds a dried out log and carries it around because in his mind it’s a bazooka, and that is what the audience sees.

While viewers will be able to decipher the blurring of the lines between reality and make-believe in the firing of the guns, Skinner (Michael Friend) complicates matters. He overthrows the general of his team and begins a reign of terror as he abuses his subordinates and shouts orders. He also takes Kwon hostage and tortures him. Skinner’s tactics and desire to defeat his former best friend, PK (Gage Munroe), gets out of hand, and he will test the will of others and the friendship between PK and Kwon.

Violent and strong language will make this an unsuitable film for young children. Preteens and young adults will appreciate the power of the imagination, even though the film is written for adults. They will understand the author’s message about dominance in social situations. While it’s like Lord of the Flies because the most power-hungry person is in charge, thankfully there’s no death.

Once the audience realizes that this is more pretend than reality and that the other characters don’t carry through on orders or dares, the movie loses the intensity of its first half. But refreshingly, the filmmakers leave their exact message uncoded for the audience to the very end. It could be about bullying, the darker side of childhood imagination, and/or the blurring of dominance vs. brutality.