Tsunami

New Zealand–based animator and cartoonist Wenlock’s edgy debut captures adolescence’s melancholy and rage. Awkward teen Peter quietly navigates his relationships with his bickering parents and a group of bullies led by his cocky classmate, Gus. Despite Peter’s gentle demeanor, his impulse to seek justice makes his situation worse. When new girl Charlie arrives at school, her bravado and snark put Gus and his gang in their place. She draws Peter in, and out of his shell, but also awakens something reckless in him, telling him, “You’re a badass, Peter.” With Charlie’s coaching, Peter begins provoking his tormentors, daring Gus into a cycle of retaliation that ends in tragedy. Wenlock renders his characters in a minimalist, cartoony black-and-white, which belies the complex storytelling. Bullies become more sympathetic characters, families fall apart, no one learns their lessons, and the guy doesn’t get the girl. In a rare moment of introspection, Peter confesses to Charlie, “I’m scared.” He is right to be. Fans of Charles Forsman’s The End of the Fucking World will want to pick up this coming-of-age tale filtered through the lens of a Robert Bresson film. (May)