Jerrycan

Jerrycan is a 2008 Australian short coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Julius Avery. It was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or and won the Jury Prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot
Five boys decide to blow something up to alleviate their boredom while attending a party. Nathan is chosen to do the risky task after losing Rock Paper Scissors. Facing intense pressure from Brett, Nathan is forced to choose between life and death.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The idea of a group of boys who decide to blow something up out of boredom is very interesting and original.
 * 2) The performances from the cast are both natural and raw.
 * 3) Snappy dialogue that is full of attitude.
 * 4) Strong themes relating to nostalgia, maturity, peer pressure, and risk taking.
 * 5) Likeable characters such as Nathan, Todd, Nick, and Dylan.
 * 6) Nathan has great character development where he starts off being reluctant to blow up the jerrycan under the constant hounding from Brett causes him to raise his confidence and becomes more wise.
 * 7) Cool soundtrack consisting of songs by Australian artists at the time of the short's setting such as "I'll Be Gone" by Spectrum and "Take a Long Line" by The Angels which fits with the characters' personalities.
 * 8) Amazing cinematography that feels realistic without resorting to shaky cam.
 * 9) Awesome costume design.
 * 10) Funny moments such as one of the boys stealing the titular jerrycan while being chased by a mechanic who shouts You little bastards! with the boys taunting him during the montage of them getting the supplies needed for the explosion.
 * 11) Nathan's collage is beautiful.