Play

In making Play, a story of calculated cruelty, director Ruben Östlund did not need to resort to shocking twists or contrived plot devices to achieve the unsettling effect he sought. All the elements were already there in real events that took place not long ago in Gothenburg, Sweden. Östlund applies his precise direction and provocateur leanings to the story of young black teenagers who bully and rob younger white boys. Meticulously researched, the film inevitably forces us to confront both positive and negative racial stereotypes. Östlund’s work boldly asks questions about the meanings of tolerance, class equality, and social solidarity. And though he makes nothing explicit, for many the answers are bound to be less than comfortable.