An 11-year-old boy dreams of becoming a great detective like his TV hero Kojak. He sets up a private investigation with his best friend, but the disappearance of his older brother sets them off down a dark path.

Petty detective work and the pleasures of TV series collide with the harshness of a drug-blighted Dublin in Brian Durnin’s assured directorial debut. Rising star Cillian Sullivan burns steadily in this smoldering and beautifully designed period piece, which refuses to sugarcoat or sentimentalize.