Little Criminals 1995
Directed by
Stephen Surjik
Made by
CBC
Little Criminals Plot Summary
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Eleven-year-old Des, [Brendan Fletcher], and his friends descend into a pattern of vandalism, stealing, lighting fires, mugging, and using drugs, a dangerous mix he uses to cope with a harsh reality. In Canada the age of criminal responsibility is twelve, and Des cleverly exploits this law, knowing the police cannot charge him until he turns twelve.
Des meets Cory, [Myles Ferguson], on the schoolyard when Cory gets into a fight. Impressed with Cory’s willingness to stand up to a bully, the two form a quick bond and set out on a crime spree together. After breaking into a home and ransacking it with Cory’s toddler sister Nonny, [Keely Purvis], in tow, they are arrested and brought to the police station, where Cory is detained.
Cory’s mother and stepfather try to keep him away from Des, but their efforts fail as Cory continues to meet with his friend. Des, who lives in squalor, comes home to find a police officer and a social worker in the kitchen, talking to Dolly, [Dolores Drake], about his escalating behavior, a conversation his mother doesn’t take seriously.
Following an incident in which Des is stabbed by his mother, he ends up in an assessment centre for troubled children. There he meets Rita, [Mimi Kuzyk], a psychologist who tries to understand Des’s motivations and gradually sees some improvement in his behavior. Des’s mother relinquishes custody of him, a decision he struggles to accept, and Rita informs him that they are trying to place him in a foster home.
Des recoils at the idea of foster care and flees as soon as Cory visits him. The two of them plot to get out of the city and target Chet, the local dealer, [Jed Rees]. During the robbery, Cory confesses to stealing something, which prompts Chet to attack him. After hesitation, Des shoots and kills Chet with a stolen firearm.
Following the killing, Cory becomes afraid of Des and wants nothing to do with him, even asking his stepfather to protect him. As Des approaches the vehicle, a school police officer reminds him that he will be 12 years old in a month, prompting Des to flee the schoolyard. Des, still on the run from the assessment centre, returns home to find his mother passed out in bed with a boyfriend, unaware of his presence.
Not wanting to be placed in foster care or arrested when he turns twelve, Des sets the house on fire and hides in a closet, sleepily sinking as the flames slowly engulf the home.
Little Criminals Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Little Criminals (1995) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Des and friends begin a crime spree
Eleven-year-old Des and his friends engage in vandalism, stealing, lighting fires, mugging people, and experimenting with drugs. They push boundaries to see how far they can go and what they can get away with. In Canada, the film notes that the age of criminal responsibility is twelve, a fact Des tries to exploit later.
Des meets Cory on the schoolyard
Des meets Cory when Cory stands up to a bully on the schoolyard, and they quickly become friends. The two decide to commit crimes together, bonding over their shared defiance. Their alliance marks the start of a dangerous crime spree.
Break-in and arrest
They break into a home and ransack it, with Cory's toddler sister Nonny in tow. The break-in ends with the police arresting them, setting the stage for a more serious criminal path. The incident draws attention to their reckless behavior.
Cory detained; Des remains connected
The boys are brought to the police station, where Cory is detained. Cory's mother and stepfather try to keep him away from Des, but the two youths continue to meet despite efforts to separate them. Their friendship persists under the shadow of the law.
Confrontation at Des's home
Des returns home to find a police officer and a social worker in the kitchen, discussing his behavior with his mother, who does not take the concerns seriously. The scene highlights Des's unstable home life and the lack of support around him. This moment foreshadows the consequences to come.
Stabbing and entry to assessment centre
An incident results in Des being stabbed by his mother, after which he is sent to an assessment centre for troubled children. The move marks a drastic shift away from his familiar environment. At the centre, he begins interacting with staff who will try to guide him.
Rita the psychologist arrives
In the centre, Rita, a psychologist, begins to understand Des's motivations and behavior. She works with him and sees some positive changes over time. Her involvement provides a glimmer of hope amid a troubled life.
Custody relinquished; Des flees after Cory's visit
Des's mother relinquishes custody and the social services seek a foster home, but Des rejects the idea and runs away as soon as Cory visits. The separation strains the fragile ties between him and his only ally. The pair's momentum toward escape is set in motion.
Des and Cory plan to leave the city and rob Chet
They decide to get out of the city and target Chet, the local dealer, as a way to fund their escape. The planning shows their desperation and mutual reliance. The plan marks a new, more dangerous phase in their crime spree.
Chet attacks after Cory's confession
During the robbery, Cory confesses to stealing an item, which prompts Chet to attack him. The confrontation escalates quickly and pushes the situation toward violence. The pair's ill-fated plan spirals out of control.
Des shoots and kills Chet
After hesitation, Des shoots and kills Chet with a stolen firearm. The killing profoundly alters the balance of power between Des and Cory and cements Des's descent into violence. The incident fracturing their partnership becomes a turning point in the story.
Cory fears Des and seeks protection
Traumatized by Chet's death, Cory becomes afraid of Des and asks his stepfather for protection. He distances himself and breaks away from their once-close partnership. The bond that drove their crimes crumbles under the weight of the violence.
Officer confrontation and Des's escape
An on-site school police officer reminds Des that he will turn twelve in a month, heightening the sense of imminent consequence. Realizing the risk, Des flees the schoolyard rather than face arrest. The countdown to his birthday adds pressure to his already fragile state.
Des returns home to find his mother intoxicated
Still on the run, Des goes home and finds his mother passed out in the bedroom with a boyfriend. The scene underscores the chaotic environment that has shaped him. It deepens his sense of isolation and lack of care.
Des starts a fatal fire to avoid foster care
Des plans to avoid foster care and being arrested when he turns twelve, so he sets the house on fire and hides in a closet. He falls asleep as the flames engulf the home, a grim culmination of his desperation. The ending leaves his fate uncertain as the blaze consumes everything.
Little Criminals Characters
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Des
Eleven-year-old Des is trapped in poverty and neglect, using his wits to navigate a world that underestimates him. He is impulsive, resourceful, and increasingly hostile toward the adults around him. He rationalizes criminal acts as a means to survive and control his environment. The trauma of his home life drives him toward a downward path toward more dangerous crimes.
Cory
Cory is Des's friend who joins him in a string of crimes after admiring Des's willingness to stand up to a bully. He is loyal but easily drawn into risky schemes that escalate quickly. His bond with Des pulls him deeper into the criminal path, until a violent act shatters their alliance. He seeks safety and distance as violence intensifies.
Rita
Rita is a psychologist who counsels Des at an assessment center, trying to uncover underlying motivations and potential for change. She offers a compassionate, professional approach and works toward finding a foster placement. Her work reveals both the possibility of healing and the stubborn obstacles imposed by an under-resourced system.
Chet
Chet is the local drug dealer who becomes the target of Des and Cory's plan, a figure of authority and danger in their world. He reacts violently when confronted, leading to his fatal injury at their hands. His presence and the confrontation highlight the peril and desperation of the street economy.
Social Worker
The social worker visits Des's home to assess his situation and arrange protection, illustrating the social services’ attempts to intervene. She navigates a complex system where progress is slow and emotional needs often clash with bureaucratic constraints. Her role underscores the fragility of care in a city-wide struggle to protect troubled children.
Des's Mother
Des's mother is depicted as overwhelmed by poverty, showing little patience or consistent care for her son. The home environment is volatile, and her neglect contributes to Des’s sense of abandonment. She later relinquishes custody as the system intervenes, illustrating the breakdown of family stability.
Little Criminals Settings
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Location
Canada
Set in urban Canada, the film portrays a city where neglect and poverty push a child into crime. The story follows Des and his friend Cory as they navigate a rough environment and flawed social systems. The setting underscores the harsh realities shaping their choices and the limited options available to them.
Little Criminals Themes
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Juvenile Crime
Des and Cory, preteens, engage in vandalism, theft, arson, mugging, and even drug use as they try to navigate a city that underestimates them. The film highlights the legal fact that the age of criminal responsibility is twelve, illustrating a dangerous loophole they exploit. As crimes escalate, the boundary between mischief and violence becomes blurred, with consequences mounting through arrests, assessments, and the threat of foster care.
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Neglect
Des lives in squalor with a mother who is often intoxicated and disengaged, illustrating a lack of stable care. A social worker and police visit the home, signaling attempts to intervene, though progress remains fragile. The environment remains hostile and unstable, fueling Des's belief that he must look after himself. Neglect drives his decisions and fuels his descent into crime.
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Intervention
Rita, a psychologist at an assessment center, works to understand Des's motivations and potential for change. Her sessions reveal moments of vulnerability and possibility, within the limits of a strained system. Foster care is discussed, but Des resists and flees, highlighting the tension between personal change and institutional constraints. The film examines how therapy and care interact with a social framework that is slow to adapt.
Little Criminals Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a stark Canadian suburb where the line between childhood and criminality blurs, eleven‑year‑old Des lives under the weight of a harsh upbringing and a home that offers little safety. The streets become his classroom, the cracked walls of his neighborhood a backdrop for a restless energy that refuses to be tamed. Beneath his defiant exterior lies a calculated awareness of the law: the age of criminal responsibility sits just beyond his reach, and he has learned to move within that gray space, convinced that the system will never touch him until he turns twelve.
A chance confrontation on the schoolyard introduces Cory, a new peer whose willingness to stand up to intimidation catches Des’s attention. Their bond forms quickly, fueled by a shared hunger for freedom and a mutual distrust of the adults who preside over their lives. Together they navigate the edge of rebellion, each step pulling them deeper into a world that promises excitement but also threatens to consume the fragile innocence they cling to. Their friendship becomes a pivot point, exposing Des to both the allure of camaraderie and the unsettling possibility that his choices may have consequences he cannot yet fathom.
When the pressures of his chaotic existence culminate in a compulsory stay at a youth assessment centre, the house of cards Des has built begins to wobble. Within the centre’s stark walls, a psychologist named Rita attempts to untangle the knots of his behavior, offering a glimpse of an alternative path that conflicts with his fiercely guarded independence. As Des confronts the looming reality of his twelfth birthday, the film settles into a tense, gritty mood, inviting the audience to wonder whether the fragile thread of hope can survive in a world that has long denied him a chance at redemption.
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