Der 17-jährige Christy ist gerade aus seiner Pflegefamilie geflogen. Vorübergehend soll er bei seinem älteren Bruder Shane unterkommen, der in einem Arbeiterviertel im Norden von Cork wohnt. Shane sieht das als Übergangslösung, aber Christy lebt sich ein, knüpft Kontakte und schließt Freundschaften. Über Verwandte kann er sogar wieder an seine Vergangenheit anknüpfen. Genau das jedoch will sein Bruder verhindern. Er will ein besseres Leben für Christy, selbst wenn er ihn dafür von sich stoßen muss. Bald stehen die Brüder vor der Entscheidung, wie sie mit der Vergangenheit und ihren Plänen für die Zukunft umgehen wollen.

Seventeen-year-old Christy is at a crossroads. He's just been thrown out of his pleasant suburban foster home and moved in with his estranged older brother Shane. As far as Shane is concerned this is a temporary arrangement, but Christy begins to feel at home on Cork's working class north side. As he makes friends and begins to let the community in, he also reconnects with his past through his seemingly more corrupting extended family, despite Shane’s efforts to steer him away from this crowd. Shane wants something better for Christy at any cost – even if it means he has to push him away. After so many years apart, the brothers need to now reconcile their turbulent past whilst deciding what the future looks like.

Here is a terrifically warm and involving Irish movie about two brothers from Cork’s northside; it is moving and funny, with plenty of affectionate shots of the iconic Knocknaheeny water tower looming futuristically over the skyline like a 70s spaceship or one of eastern Europe’s Soviet-era war memorials. Screenwriter Alan O’Gorman and first-time feature director and story co-creator Brendan Canty deliver a social-realist film with heart, featuring outstanding performances of sympathy and strength, developed from Canty’s 2019 short film of the same name.

This is a powerhouse debut not only from Canty but also from the young lead, Danny Power. There’s a raw freshness to their voices and collaboration. Christy is the sort of first feature that makes you excited - not just to see where these talented creatives go - but for the promising future of indie cinema.