Stockholm in the 1980s seems like a wonderful place – except to seventh graders Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin), who haven’t ever quite fit in – but it’s not like they put in much effort anyway. Instead of following the mainstream fashions and pursuing popular interests, the two girls instead decide to embrace a punk aesthetic, which gives them a sense of belonging, and helps them grow closer together, as they may be the only people in their community that refuse to believe that punk is actually dead. Their days are spent at rigid family events, where they are the subject of a lot of conversation for their unique approach to childhood, as well as at their local community centre, where they are trying to find a hobby that will help them pass the time. Almost by accident, they realize that they can become musicians, and despite having neither any experience in the music industry, nor owning any actual instruments, they still actively pursue this path, which is greatly helped when they befriend Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne), a quiet, shy young woman from a very conservative Christian family, who has been similarly neglected by her peers based on her reserved nature. The trio becomes great friends, and are soon honing their skills as Stockholm’s newest punk rock group (and they make sure they have a few choice words for anyone who dares call them a “girl band”), well on their way to making a strong impression on the few people willing to stop and listen to these burgeoning young voices, who are only hoping to be taken seriously without sacrificing who they are at heart.

Coming-of-age stories are a dime a dozen, especially when it comes to cinema – something about seeing children grow up and go through the journey of reaching maturity strikes a chord with audiences. For younger viewers, it gives them a chance to see people like them represented on screen, with the additional possibility that the plot mirrors some of their own experiences growing up. For adults, these films tend to remind us of our childhoods, whether in reminiscing on the good old days, or thinking back on how far we’ve come since our youths. For whatever reason, we tend to gravitate towards these stories, even when they’re quite common and not always all that original. One of the more exceptional entries into the genre came on behalf of Lukas Moodysson, the esteemed Swedish filmmaker who is not a stranger to these kinds of stories, having touched on the theme of growing up a few times before. The film in question is We Are the Best! (Swedish: Vi är bäst!), the director’s loving tribute to two of his passions – coming-of-age stories and the rise and fall of punk music, which he weaves together into this utterly delightful little comedy that wears its heart on its sleeve and makes sure that we are well-aware of its intentions, which are clear from the first moment. Not a film that necessarily lends itself to much attention, since it is quite small by design, We Are the Best! is just an absolute blast, an endearing gem of a film that knows where it is going, and enjoys taking us on the ride there – and with exceptional performances, a beautiful story and some impressive music that transports us to this world, Moodysson made a truly triumphant manifesto to the trials and tribulations of growing up, and all the obstacles that stand between youthful inexperience and the realities that await us on the other side of childhood.

Identity plays a pivotal role in We Are the Best!, to the point where most of the film is driven by the exploration of how these teenagers perceive themselves, and how they’re treated by others who don’t quite understand their chosen path in life. The film is built on the foundation of “punk is dead”, a popular movement that swept the world in the 1980s, in response to the decline of the musical genre that radicalized countless youths. Unlike the similarly-toned attacks on disco that occurred around the same time, punk never truly died, it just changed shape – so the idea of a film like this centring on three teenagers who embody everything that made punk such an incredible cultural moment should be exciting to anyone with even the vaguest interest in the subject. Moodysson is a very strong director when it comes to piecing together stories about how the world works through the eyes of a range of interesting protagonists, so We Are the Best! was not anything less than it promised to be. The director’s fascination with the subject matter (adapted from a graphic novel by his own partner, artist Coco Moodysson) makes for a truly captivating story that shows us the other side of life, one that not all of us have been witness to, but can understand through the incredibly humane and honest storytelling techniques employed throughout this wonderfully irreverent comedy that has some serious depth. At the age of 13, none of us really know who we are entirely – we may have some inkling, but we’re still growing into the people we’re going to become, so this film does remarkably well in showing both the process of discovering our path through toying with our identity, as well as the seeds of personality that are sown as we go through life. It all converges into a wonderfully touching story of developing into unique individuals, and feeling the swell of pride that comes as a result of expressing ourselves in the way we feel is most appropriate.

As much as it may appear as such, this film isn’t solely about a solitary journey. More than anything else, We Are the Best! is a film about friendship, as reflected in the three central performances. Coming-of-age stories often focus on a singular protagonist and their journey, often showing them as somewhat isolated in a world that doesn’t quite understand them. These are always wonderfully interesting, but they’re not reflective of something else – the strong friendships we form when we’re young, and how these relationships need to be nurtured in much the same way that we do when we’re younger. Alienation from the world is never a positive experience, but it can be truly damaging in our formative years – and if this film demonstrates anything, its that none of us need to go through life alone, and that there is always someone that will be on our side, regardless of how different we are. The three girls at the centre of We Are the Best! are all absolutely spectacular – they’re all doing something different, while still keeping with the common theme of playing teenagers who are struggling to find their place in the world. The actresses’ performances are all so authentic, and do so well in bringing these characters to life in a way that feels genuine – charming, hilarious and always fascinating, this trio of protagonists gives the film so much pathos, and help evoke the themes of friendship in a way that never feels hackneyed. A great coming-of-age story needs convincing characters, especially when dealing with friendships – but the leads of We Are the Best! are so exceptional, and have very impressive chemistry, we occasionally forget that what we’re watching is a fictional construction, not a couple of hours plucked straight from reality.

In no uncertain terms, We Are the Best! is an absolute delight – an irreverent and hilariously funny comedy with some very serious depth that comes about in the frequent attempts to look into the lives of young people coming to terms with who they are. It’s a vaguely different coming-of-age story insofar as it’s not about trying to understand one’s identity, but rather trying to help the world get up to speed with who we are, and have them accept the fact that not everyone is going to fit into preconceived notions of what is considered “normal”. I have always had a peculiar kinship for stories of square pegs in round holes, and We Are the Best! is certainly one that wears this aspect of its story with pride. Moodysson is a talented filmmaker, and while this is not his first time telling such a story, the manner in which he does it is inspiring – he allows everything to unravel organically, focusing on building the relationship between these characters and putting them in situations that feel real and relatable to a wide range of viewers. Simple but achingly beautiful in its commentary, this film is just an absolute triumph, and a gem of a story that deserves to be seen as adored by anyone who has ever had trouble fitting in, showing that it’s more than acceptable to embrace the fact that some of us were just born to stand out.