IDFA 2024: Hard to Break (dirs. Anna-Maija Heinonen, Krista Moisio) | Review
Behind the filters: the real struggles of two teenagers in a social media-driven world by first-time filmmakers Anna-Maija Heinonen and Krista Moisio.
Hard to Break (Finland, 81 minutes, 2024) was presented at IDFA 2024, alongside Hey Dad, a 6-minute Taiwanese short documentary.
This film follows young adults Atte (18, known as Pullis on social media) and Jonsu (16) over roughly 2-3 years. Atte and Jonsu can be described as friends with benefits and are part of a large friend group in Helsinki that enjoys partying together. Their preferred activities include getting drunk, smoking cigarettes, and smoking weed. They met in early 2020, around the time their social media presence began to take off. They communicate primarily through Snapchat, documenting their lives on “My Story.”
The audience is immediately introduced to Atte, whose social media persona, Pullis, was chosen by his followers. The filmmakers initially present Atte as a party-loving influencer who enjoys attention, as shown by the rising follower count displayed on screen. Despite his reckless behavior, such as excessive drinking, smoking weed, and getting into fights, Atte expresses a desire to be a good person. He grew up in foster care and is living in his fourth government-funded apartment. After a wild party, he is convicted and moves into a new apartment, with the warning that another conviction will disqualify him from government housing.
Jonsu reveals that she was bullied before finding acceptance in her new group of friends, who often tell her she is a good person. She also drinks and smokes and struggles with her relationship with Atte.
The film feels sincere, with no interviews and the camera simply following their lives and social media posts. The portrayal is neither judgmental nor idealizing. Most filming occurs in Atte’s messy apartments, showing scenes of partying and a neglected living space, sometimes without water and with a balcony used as a dump. Atte and his friends prefer to show off for the camera, avoiding mundane activities like Christmas shopping, as shared by the filmmakers in the Q&A.
Halfway through the film, Atte is attacked by a group of men and responds with threats on Snapchat, leading to his account being blocked. He starts a YouTube channel and participates in a “shot challenge,” which involves heavy drinking and vomiting. Jonsu is present and appears worried. She eventually ends up in the hospital and is admitted to a youth care facility after her mother reports her missing. The film then shows Reddit users concerned about Atte’s absence from social media. Jonsu and Atte’s mother are later seen cleaning his apartment before picking him up from prison, where he served a 2.9-year sentence for attempted manslaughter and is allowed to finish his term on probation. Jonsu is thrilled by his release.
Atte continues his previous lifestyle, though shows slight signs of maturity. Jonsu begins to understand her worth, and after breaking up with Atte, he enters a new relationship. His new girlfriend wants him to stop drinking, and while he tries, he struggles. His relationship with Jonsu remains ambiguous, with periods of contact and no contact.
It is revealed that Jonsu was hospitalized after being assaulted at a party by one of Atte’s friends. She starts working at a bar, and Atte finds a job as well, both showing signs of improvement. During the trial, Jonsu testifies while Atte, who promised to be there, does not show up. Her assaulter is convicted and put on probation, while Atte returns to prison but is later released and working, trying to better his life and dabbling in acting.
In the Q&A, the first-time filmmakers explained their motivation for making this coming-of-age film. They followed Atte on social media and became curious about this new wave of influencers. Their goal was to show that everyone makes mistakes but can grow from them, and that mistakes do not define a person. They succeeded in sharing the real stories of both Atte and Jonsu, as confirmed by the subjects themselves. The filmmakers also mentioned their attempts to discourage dangerous behavior during filming, but the group did not listen. They chose not to include the darkest scenes to make the film accessible to a younger audience, hoping they could learn from these mistakes without the film being too heavy. The filmmakers believe that both Atte and Jonsu are evolving into good people, and I share that belief.
Read our alternate review of Hard to Break by Aurélie Géron.
