What Is Metastases About?
The premise of Metastases in 318 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the lingering haze of post‑war Zagreb, the city feels both familiar and fractured, its streets echoing with the distant rumble of unresolved conflict. The film paints the urban landscape with a stark, almost clinical palette, using the metaphor of a spreading disease to suggest that the social scars of the recent past have become an endemic malaise. Amid the clamor of daily life, football chants rise from local taverns, offering a fleeting sense of unity that disguises deeper divisions.
Krpa is the volatile nucleus of the group—a former soldier turned football hooligan whose aggression is as much a shield as it is a weapon. Filip returns home after years of treatment abroad, his attempts at normalcy constantly undermined by the pull of old habits and the expectations of a family desperate for stability. Kizo, battling alcoholism, carries the quiet weight of loss, finding brief solace in the care of stray cats that wander his modest apartment. Dejo, caught between his mixed heritage and the lingering prejudices of a society still healing from ethnic strife, wrestles with his own dependence while navigating the fragile bonds of friendship.
Together they form an unlikely quartet bound by loyalty to Dinamo Zagreb and a shared reliance on the escapism found in the city’s nocturnal corners. Their interactions flicker between camaraderie and confrontation, each conversation a micro‑cosm of the larger cultural tensions that persist in Croatia’s streets. The atmosphere is thick with a blend of gritty realism and lyrical melancholy, as the characters drift through a world where hope is as battered as the old stadium seats they occupy.
The film’s tone remains unflinching, juxtaposing moments of dark humor with an undercurrent of dread, inviting viewers to contemplate how a generation inherits the unresolved wounds of war. In this portrait of survival, the audience is left to ponder whether the characters can ever truly escape the invisible contagion that shadows their lives.
What Happens in Metastases?
The complete story of Metastases, from the first scene to the last, in 434 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in 1999, the film follows four unconventional friends from a Zagreb neighbourhood – Krpa Rene Bitorajac, Filip Franjo Dijak, Kizo Robert Ugrina and Dejo Rakan Rushaidat – who are all football fans and Dinamo Zagreb supporters.
Krpa is an antisocial football hooligan and a Croatian War of Independence veteran who constantly abuses his wife. Throughout the story, he also insults and physically attacks several people who speak up about his behaviour. In the final scene, he robs a betting shop and ends up in a tense foot chase with two police officers, exposing a life of aggression and volatility that frames the group’s world.
Filip is a drug addict who spent three years in a rehabilitation program in Spain. When he returns to Zagreb at the start of the film, his parents try to persuade him to find a job to keep him from slipping back into old habits. That same day, he reunites with the other three members of the group at a neighbourhood bar, where old bonds re-emerge and tensions simmer just beneath the surface.
Kizo is an ailurophiliac alcoholic and Croatian War of Independence veteran. He lives with his mother after his father’s death and carries a quiet burden that seems to fuel his dependence on alcohol. One day, he heads to the bar hoping to join the group for a match, only to discover they had already left. He returns home, stopping at a supermarket to buy more drink and cat food, before being seen tending to a litter of kittens in his backyard, a vignette that humanizes him amid the rough edges of the group.
Dejo, half Serb, is the son of a former Yugoslav officer. He is also a drug addict who owes money to people, and his ethnicity becomes a target for insults from Krpa, who even goads him to kiss the Altar of the Homeland, a moment that underscores the ethnic tensions simmering beneath their friendship.
The plot deepens as Filip and Dejo travel to Sarajevo to buy heroin. On the journey back, they visit Filip’s aunt and uncle somewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The relatives propose giving his parents two bags of potatoes, but there isn’t enough space in Dejo’s car to transport them immediately, so they agree to move the bags later. Filip hides the drug inside one of the bags, yet the scheme unravels when the bags are moved by a neighbor of Filip’s aunt and uncle, Reuf, who is unaware of the drugs. The near-miss with border control heightens the tension, testing loyalty, risk, and the lines between friendship and crime.
Metastases Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Filip returns and is urged to get a job” to “Dinamo Zagreb identity binds the four friends”. 13 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
Filip returns and is urged to get a job
Filip returns to Zagreb after three years in rehabilitation in Spain. His parents press him to find a job to prevent a relapse. The same day, he reunites with Krpa, Kizo, and Dejo at a Zagreb neighbourhood bar, launching the group's four-way dynamic.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 2
Bar reunion of the four friends
At the bar, the four friends reassemble and reconnect over their shared Dinamo Zagreb fandom. The meeting exposes their unorthodox bonds and looming conflicts. The bar becomes their base for plans and everyday struggles.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 3
Krpa's abusive behavior established
Krpa, an antisocial veteran, abuses his wife and attacks anyone who challenges him. He uses intimidation to control those around him. This pattern foreshadows the violence that threads through their lives.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 4
Dejo's debts and ethnic tensions
Dejo is a drug addict who owes money, and his half-Serb background triggers insults from Krpa. He navigates the pressure of friends and his addiction. The tension among the group intensifies as their fragile balance teeters.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 5
Krpa coerces Dejo to kiss the Altar of the Homeland
During a confrontation, Krpa uses nationalist ritual to coerce Dejo into kissing the Altar of the Homeland. The moment exposes the toxic mix of nationalism, intimidation, and group dynamics. Dejo resists, but the episode marks another flashpoint of hostility.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 6
Kizo's bar arrival and kitten imagery
Kizo goes to the bar to join the others for a match, only to find they have left. He returns home, buys alcohol and cat food at a supermarket, and ends up in his backyard caring for a litter of kittens, revealing a gentler side under his hard exterior.
When:early 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 7
Filip and Dejo travel to Sarajevo to buy heroin
Filip and Dejo travel to Sarajevo to buy heroin, highlighting their addiction and willingness to take risks. The journey tests their friendship and moral limits. The trip foreshadows the trouble awaiting them on the return.
When:1999 Where:Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 8
Visit to Filip's aunt and uncle and potato offer
On the way back, they visit Filip's aunt and uncle in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The relatives offer two bags of potatoes for the trip, but there isn't enough space in Dejo's car for both bags. The plan to transport the potatoes later reveals the improvisational nature of their schemes.
When:1999 Where:Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 9
Filip hides drugs in a potato bag
Filip hides the heroin inside one of the potato bags, concealing the stash within the supplies. The concealment shows how far they will go to sustain their habit. It foreshadows the trouble awaiting them at the border.
When:1999 Where:Between Bosnia and Zagreb
- 10
Reuf unknowingly transports the drug-laden bags
Back in Zagreb, Filip's neighbor Reuf agrees to transport the bags on his own in a few days. He is unaware of the drugs hidden inside, making him an innocent intermediary in the smuggling plan. The arrangement heightens risk for all involved.
When:1999 Where:On the road to Zagreb
Show the other 3 events of Metastases Hide the last 3 events
- 11
Border police discover the drugs
At the border crossing, authorities discover the drugs in the bags during transport. The discovery disrupts the plan and shines a harsh light on the group's illegal activity. The incident raises the stakes for all four friends.
When:1999 Where:Border crossing (Bosnia-Croatia)
- 12
Krpa robs a betting shop
In the final act, Krpa robs a betting shop and flees, triggering a tense foot chase with two police officers. The act crystallizes his volatile character and the collapse of the group's stability. The sequence anchors the film's bleak, consequence-driven ending.
When:late 1999 Where:Zagreb
- 13
Dinamo Zagreb identity binds the four friends
The four friends share a deep Dinamo Zagreb fandom that anchors their sense of belonging in a rough 1999 Zagreb. Their loyalty to the club mirrors their loyalties and conflicts within the group. The football culture provides a backdrop for both camaraderie and danger.
When:1999 Where:Zagreb
Who Are the Main Characters in Metastases?
4 characters, among them Krpa (Rene Bitorajac), Filip (Franjo Dijak) and Dejo (Rakan Rushaidat): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Krpa (Rene Bitorajac)
Played by Rene Bitorajac
A volatile, antisocial football hooligan and war veteran who routinely abuses his wife. His temper erupts in violence and intimidation, and his reckless acts culminate in a crime when he robs a betting shop and leads himself into a police pursuit.
- 💢 Toxic masculinity
- 💔 Domestic abuse
- ⚖️ Crime spree
- F(
Filip (Franjo Dijak)
Played by Franjo Dijak
A drug addict who has just returned from a three-year rehabilitation program in Spain. His family pressures him to get a job, but his past habits threaten to pull him back into old circles, reunifying with his friends for a fateful night.
- 💉 Drug addiction
- 🧪 Rehab
- 🧭 Recovery pressure
- D(
Dejo (Rakan Rushaidat)
Played by Rakan Rushaidat
A half-Serb derfund drug addict who owes money and faces ethnic insults from Krpa. His background as the son of a former Yugoslav officer adds tension to his place in the group and his interactions with others.
- 🧭 Ethnic tension
- ⚔️ War legacy
- 💸 Debt & crime
- K(
Kizo (Robert Ugrina)
Played by Robert Ugrina
An ailurophiliac alcoholic and war veteran who lives with his mother after his father’s death. He cares for kittens, drinks at the bar, and waits for the group that never arrives, highlighting his isolation and reliance on routine.
- 🐱 Cat lover
- 🛡️ Post-war trauma
- 🍶 Alcoholism
Where and When Is Metastases Set?
Metastases is set in Zagreb and Croatia (1999). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1999
The story unfolds in 1999, a post-war Croatia where veterans and young adults navigate unemployment, addiction, and violence. The period captures a late-90s urban milieu in Zagreb, a time of social tension and economic strain. The characters’ actions reflect the era’s uncertainties and the lingering shadows of the Croatian War of Independence.
Where
Zagreb, Croatia
Set in a working-class Zagreb neighbourhood, the film portrays post-war urban life through four friends who are football fans and Dinamo Zagreb supporters. The city serves as a raw backdrop for their volatile dynamics, bar culture, and everyday struggles. The urban spaces—bars, betting shops, and streets—anchor the story in contemporary Croatia.
- 🏙️ Zagreb neighbourhood
- 🇭🇷 Croatia
What Are the Themes of Metastases?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Violence, Friendship & loyalty and Addiction & crime.
-
01
Violence
The film builds a world where aggression is a daily currency, with Krpa’s abusive behavior and the broader street culture of hooliganism shaping the group’s dynamics. The violence is both physical and psychological, affecting partners, rivals, and friends alike. This theme shows how anger corrodes trust and pushes people toward reckless choices.
-
02
Friendship & loyalty
Four friends stick together through addiction, debt, and crime, revealing a complicated code of loyalty. Their bond sustains them in tough moments but also enables self-destructive patterns. The film examines how camaraderie can both protect and trap individuals within a vicious cycle.
-
03
Addiction & crime
Filip’s rehab, Dejo’s drug debts, and the plan to move heroin illustrate how addiction drives the plot and fuels illegal activity. The pursuit of drugs collides with family expectations and law enforcement during a tense journey to Bosnia and a risky border encounter. The film portrays addiction as a social and personal menace.
-
04
War legacy
Two of the main characters are Croatian War of Independence veterans, whose experiences shape their brutality, coping strategies, and sense of entitlement. The past informs present behavior, often surfacing as pride, trauma, or mistrust. The generational scars frame their interactions and mistakes.
What Kind of Film Is Metastases?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A grim and unflinching drama that immerses the viewer in the anxious, drug-fueled world of four friends navigating the bleak social landscape and petty violence of post-war Croatia.
- gritty
- oppressive
- anxious
- melancholic
- socially critical
- raw
- addiction
- post-war trauma
- social decay
- friendship tensions
Content notes: domestic abuse, substance abuse, physical violence, ethnic slurs, war trauma.
Quiz
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