Sweet Sixteen 2003

In the Scottish town of Greenock, a young teenager named Liam finds himself caught in the throes of a tumultuous lifestyle marked by the violent ned subculture. Rather than attending school, he spends his days drifting with friends, engaging in petty crime that includes the illegal sale of untaxed cigarettes in a local pub. Liam’s mother, Jean, is presently incarcerated for a crime committed by her boyfriend Stan, who is a notorious drug dealer linked to Liam’s grandfather, Rab.

As the weeks draw near to Jean’s release coinciding with Liam’s upcoming 16th birthday, tensions rise when Stan and Rab pressure Liam into smuggling drugs to Jean during her visit. Refusing their demands leads to a violent confrontation, resulting in Liam being thrown out of Rab’s home. Seeking refuge, he moves in with his older sister, Chantelle, in Port Glasgow. Chantelle implores Liam to turn his life around and pursue a more positive path.

During a brief outing to the Greenock Esplanade with Chantelle’s young son, Calum, Liam’s friend Pinball appears in a stolen car, eager to take them on a reckless joyride. As they drive up through the scenic Cloch caravan park, Liam is struck by the idea of buying a caravan to live in with his mother and sister, seeking a fresh start away from the dangerous influences of Stan and Rab. To finance this dream, he and Pinball resort to stealing and selling drugs from Stan’s stash, quickly amassing enough funds to place a deposit on the caravan in his mother’s name.

However, their actions catch the attention of Tony Douglas, the local drug kingpin. Following a warning to steer clear of rival territories, Liam unwittingly becomes embroiled in Tony’s gang. His friendship with Pinball becomes strained as Pinball falls victim to a brutal humiliation at the hands of Tony’s associates. As the duo continues their dangerous drug trade, Liam finds himself confronted with increasingly perilous choices and tests to prove his loyalty to the gang.

In a haunting turn of events, Liam and his family venture to the caravan, only to discover it has been burned down, igniting Liam’s suspicions that Stan is responsible. Seeking revenge, Pinball retaliates by crashing a car into a health club, drawing Liam deeper into the gang’s treacherous web. Their paths collide in a violent confrontation where, in a twist of fate, Liam is ordered to kill Pinball to solidify his allegiance to Tony’s crew. As their friendship hangs precariously in the balance, betrayal looms large when Pinball reveals he was the one who destroyed the caravan, further complicating their relationship.

In a moment laced with tragedy, Liam finds himself embroiled in a deadly struggle, leading to the stabbing of Stan in a fit of rage. Shortly after, he learns from Chantelle that it’s his 16th birthday—the day he can be tried as an adult, which adds an even heavier weight to his already burdened shoulders. As the law closes in and familial bonds fray, Liam is left to confront the consequences of his choices, walking a lonely path as he faces a future shrouded in uncertainty, gazing out towards the sea that beckons him, symbolizing both his longing for escape and the repercussions of his actions.