For some, the pursuit of a better life does not always yield the results that were perhaps anticipated, proving that the grass is not always greener on the other side, as the well-worn adage tends to go. In her ambitious feature-length debut Toxic,  Saulė Bliuvaitė questions the very nature of audacity and the perils that can come with having dreams perhaps too large for one to handle by telling the story of Marija and Kristina, two teenagers who spend their days aimlessly wandering around a small town in their native Lithuania where they find themselves prey to the working-class malaise that has defined previous generations, and which they are desperate to escape. Their plan is to enrol in a modelling school, in the hopes of being noticed by scouts who will help launch their careers and give them the chance to rise out of this banal existence – but what they do not realize is just how brutal this industry is, especially to young, impressionable newcomers who quickly become victims to a system designed to contort and manipulate anyone with even the slightest iota of potential until they are barely recognizable.  A harrowing and deeply unsettling social realist drama that plunges the viewer into a state of incredible anguish as we follow these two protagonists, as well as a few characters who exist on the periphery, as they attempt to enter into an industry known for its brutality, Toxic dives into the minds of young people who believe they are capable of uplifting themselves through sheer willpower, but soon come to learn that there are barriers that are almost entirely insurmountable, regardless of effort.

Much like any other artist interested in social realism, Bliuvaitė begins her exploration by looking into the lives of characters living on the margins of society. Both of the protagonists are relatively ordinary teenagers who spend their days moving around their hometown, navigating the working-class neighbourhood and trying to find some sense of belonging in an effort to avoid becoming like their parents, who are firm fixtures of this bland, impoverished existence.   It is from this very simple premise that Toxic begins to sprout some fascinating ideas, particularly around the harsh realities of beauty standards for young people, which is unfortunately a timeless theme that is as relevant in this particular milieu as it would be in just about any other time and place, giving the film a universal quality, and allowing the struggles of Marija and Kristina to be instantly recognizable for many, particularly those who grew up in hostile circumstances or had any contact with such environments throughout their own lives. Gradually, we find the two main characters pushing themselves further than they ever thought they would be willing to achieve what they believe is an easily attainable goal, forcing themselves to become the ideal version of what they believe beauty should be, hoping to achieve unwieldy ambitions that ultimately prove to be entirely fruitless, especially when it becomes clear that they both possess qualities that simply cannot be altered – mangling their bodies and permanently damaging both their physical and emotional wellbeing are seen as necessary sacrifices in the moment, ignoring the scars that they fail to realize will emerge in the aftermath.

Both thematically and narratively, Toxic is an extremely powerful film and one that is profoundly unpleasant, with the director being aware of the impact that carefully curated discomfort can have when it comes to guiding a narrative and evoking certain emotions. The film deviates from traditional style in both style and substance throughout, with the cold and austere visual composition presenting quite a stark departure from the usually more intimate, personal approach we find in coming-of-age stories. Both elements work in tandem to form a narrative about the challenges that come when someone is forced to choose between following their dreams or prioritizing their own well-being, and how their identity can sometimes be the most brutal sacrifice made in the process of making this decision. Both Marija and Kristina are young women who aren’t quite sure who they are yet, and find themselves questioning their own path forward, and unfortunately are vulnerable enough to defer this decision to the supposedly wiser and more experienced adults around them, who they believe can make the decision on their behalf, but in reality just use this as an opportunity to take advantage. This is where the film is at its most brutal, since it reflects the culture of not only the world of modelling, but the broader treatment of women and girls as a whole, and how beauty standards are dictated from raw, patriarchal beliefs that are not only outdated, but deeply misogynistic and destructive. It leads to an extremely bleak and unsettling portrait of fragile femininity and how it can be brutally controlled and corrupted to fit an agenda, with the victim’s welfare being of very little concern to those far more interested in the timeless act of objectification for the sake of commodifying beauty and femininity.

Toxic is certainly a film that adheres closely to its title – from its first moment, it is enmeshed in a thick layer of venomousness and despair, with its characters facing challenges that are both ruthless and unfortunately recognizable for many who have experienced the same level of discrimination and abuse.  Sadly, while the message at the heart of the film is powerful, it doesn’t offer the encouragement or hope that we would expect – Bliuvaitė doesn’t peddle in providing false expectations or a resolution to a crisis that she knows is not going to be resolved anytime soon. By the end of the film, the cycle continues – the abuse and manipulation against vulnerable young women who are desperate to escape their bleak living conditions persist, and their souls continue to be battered and bruised until they are mere husks, manipulated by an industry that promises a brighter future, but in reality only allows a minuscule number of its participants to see that success. Growing steadily more disquieting as it progresses and reveals more of these characters’ lives and their circumstances,  the film presents a stark but essential statement on a very real issue, and while it may not offer the solutions we would expect, it at the very least contributes to an ongoing conversation around issues around gender and identity, revealing hard truths that may be uncomfortable, but are nonetheless crucial to understand.