Cinema: Kevlarsjäl (2025)

 (Kevlar Soul)

Premiere: January 29, 2025(Göteborg Film Festival)
Country of origin: Sweden
Directed by: Maria Eriksson Hecht
Written by: Maria Eriksson Hecht, Pelle Rådström
Distributed by: TriArt Film
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1h 41min
Starring:Josef Kersh, Rio Svensson, Adja Sise Stenson, Jonay Pineda Skallak, Torkel Petersson

As with the movie Onkel Jens (2025) , I was consulting this one also, some year ago, through a service the filmmakers used. I do not fully remember every detail of what I said during that process, but I do remember that the story felt deep and powerful. My first thought back then was that it would not work as a regular cinema movie. I felt it belonged in schools where students could talk about it afterward since it has that type of weight.

I missed a few chances to see it during the year. Then the team never replied to my screener request which is completely fair since things get busy. No hard feelings. I still wondered when I would finally get to watch it. Then late night the 18 Nov, while doom scrolling on Facebook I suddenly saw “Kevlarsjäl Free at the cinema tomorrow 19 Nov” in this town. The odds were amazing. So I went.

Before the show, the staff told me that earlier the same day a group of ninth graders had watched it. They said the room had been completely silent because the students were so taken by the movie.

At this later screening it was sadly only five people that showed up. I do not know how it has gone in other regular screenings for it. I know it has won some prices in some festivals though.  From my view I guess I was right in my early feeling. This movie hits harder in a school setting. The weather was also very cold today which might have kept some away.

Kevlarsjäl is a heavy story about two brothers, Alex and Robin, growing up with an alcoholic violent unstable single father. The movie blends raw realism with quiet emotional moments. It carries a deep honesty. Many scenes felt lived in rather than staged which at times gave it a faint documentary feel.

The older brother keeps trying to hold everything together while the younger starts slipping into darker places. Two people also influence their journey in strong ways, Ines with warmth and hope and Dennis who pushes things in a far more dangerous direction.

 

 

 

There were some moments that hit me personally. The dog fight scene was very powerful since it worked so well as a symbol for what that brother was going through. There is a scene in Berlin that I liked a lot. I once did a photo project in Berlin that later became an exhibition. Watching the movie made me miss the city. Some of the violence also gave me flashbacks to my own childhood, since there were moments in my life that had a similar tone, not saying my father was bad, my father was very kind so it was not that same situation exactly. Still the film captured that feeling of your soul slipping out of you. It felt real.

 

 

The acting deserves attention since everyone delivered some excellent strong performances. Josef Kersh and Rio Svensson had believable chemistry as the brothers. Torkel Petersson brought a painful presence as the father. Adja Sise Stenson (Ines) and Jonay Pineda Skallak (Dennis) added important emotional layers.

 

I give this movie a strong 9/10. It has been a long time since I felt this captured and invested in a film. Even though the movie was heavy it felt good watching this. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28301231
https://triart.se/film/kevlarsjal
https://www.instagram.com/kevlarsjal_filmen/

 

Before the movie, there were some discussion questions. This movie was part of a campaign in this town to raise awareness about violence in homes. A slideshow was shown. I think it was used more with the ninth graders earlier during the day.

Since the questions are meant for group talk I wrote down my own thoughts and reflections.

How did the brothers manhood and sense of safety get affected by the fathers violent behavior?
They became unsure about who they were. Their identity was shaken.

What does the movie say about young men growing up with violence at home. How do their feelings affect relationships?
It shows insecurity that builds inside them with sudden angry outbursts. Trust becomes hard.

What role does the missing adult world play. What does it say about responsibility and shame?
It shows how insecurity grows when support is missing. The shame comes from knowing something important should have been there but was not.

This is truly a great movie for schools. It really sets thoughts in motion.



//Sonny