Watch The Toy Soldiers

The Toy Soldiers is a gripping drama film released in 2014. It portrays a group of troubled teenagers who are sent to a rehabilitation center located in the wilderness of California. The movie was directed by Erik Peter Carlson and features a strong cast which includes Najarra Townsend, Constance Brenneman, Chandler Rylko, and Jeanette May Steiner.

This coming-of-age thriller follows a group of six teenagers, each dealing with their own personal issues, as they are sent to a remote rehab center to work through their problems. The center is run by the unyielding Dr. Virgil (Marek Probosz), and his rules are harshly enforced. The teenagers are forced to dig deep and face the issues that brought them to the facility. The film is set over a few weeks of their stay and progresses gradually to reveal the dark secrets of each of the teenagers.

The film heavily relies on its excellent cast's performances. Najarra Townsend stars as tough-as-nails and troubled Billy, who has already been sent to multiple rehabilitation centers. Billy is accompanied by five other teenagers, played by Sam Quartin, Brian Tyler Cohen, Jeanette May Steiner, Chandler Rylko, and Nick Frangione, each dealing with their own share of inner demons. The cast delivers exceptional performances, convincingly portraying the deep emotional turmoils the characters are dealing with.

The film takes its time with the setup, making sure that each character is introduced and their problems outlined. The movie's pacing is slow, but it steadily builds tension without resorting to shock tactics or cheap thrills. The tension that Carlson generates is in the form of psychological suspense, and he is very successful at it. The script not only sheds light on the life-changing experiences of the children but also on their tragic and heartbreaking pasts.

The Toy Soldiers explores sensitive matters like drug abuse, sexual exploitation, and emotional trauma, bringing it to the forefront without ever coming across as exploitative. The movie is filmed in a secluded area, which elevates the film's already intense and claustrophobic ambiance, creating a sense of isolation that contributes to the development of the characters' emotion and struggles.

The film tries to delve deeper into the underlying causes of the children's behavior and their attitude towards life. While they all come from different backgrounds and have dissimilar troubles, they are all unified by the palpable sense of desperation and yearning in their eyes. As the story progresses, their inter-relationships become more pronounced, and the teenagers realize they are not as different from each other as they thought.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the film is its cinematography. The lush greenery, the open skies, and the vast mountain ranges are vividly captured in every frame by cinematographer Gavin Kelly. The stunning landscapes help in depicting the beauty of the location, which becomes a character in itself. The sharp contrasts between the beauty of nature and the darkness of the themes explored within the film resonate throughout.

The Toy Soldiers is a thought-provoking, well-crafted drama that reveals the terrible challenges that young people often face. It is a film of great emotional intelligence, and the director is not afraid to take us to grim and unsettling places that are in stark contrast to the mesmerizing natural beauty of the setting. Anyone who enjoys seriously themed drama films is going to love this movie.

In conclusion, The Toy Soldiers is a powerful, engaging, and thought-provoking film that takes on heavy subjects with admirable depth and sensitivity. It is an emotional journey that walks a thin line between being realistic and gripping, often succeeding at both. The unparalleled performances, remarkable cinematography, excellent screenplay all come together to make this an extraordinary movie worth watching.

The Toy Soldiers is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 23 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.3.