Synopsis
15 year-old Minka Jameson lives with his Mum, Lia, in a crappy apartment in the heart of Auckland. Faced with the daily challenge of both supporting his mother and keeping her away from the drug that constantly threatens to destroy her – ‘P’ - Minka has no life. Without any support Minka has taken to tying up his Mother whenever he discovers her under the influence. His only solace is playing her old records on his trusty turntables.
Under financial pressures, Minka invites his long absent father Joe back onto the scene. Joe offers help through a new job - working as a glassie at his strip bar. Another element enters with the arrival of new next door neighbours - the sharp-tongued teenage girl Zoey, and her father Spanner.
Minka’s first night on the job starts out with promise, but ends in drunkenness and violence. Minka discovers that his Dad is man of great charisma and great danger – a prominent member of the underworld. By night’s end, Minka has not only survived, he’s also gained the promise of better paying work to fund his mother’s rehab.
The next day Minka runs into Zoey. The teenagers discover that, although they’ve lived very different lives, they share a lot in common. Minka finds hope in her kindred spirit.
Joe delivers on his promise for higher paid work, by dropping Minka on the doorstep of notoriously psychotic methamphetamine dealer - Pinball. After surviving a terrifying initiation, Minka realises what he must do to earn the money he needs for his Mother - distribute the drug ‘P’, aided by a shining new BMX bike - and a gun.
Troubled by his conscience, Minka confronts Joe, who tells him there is no alternative. Upset, he heads home to talk to Lia, but thrilled by Joe’s return she won’t listen. The two argue and the boy finds Zoey, and they head into the city determined to have fun like normal teenagers. After a dance in a nightclub, they head for safety under the harbour bridge. Under the light of the moon they make love but wake the next morning aware that they are each still trapped.
A night out to make up for all the birthdays his Dad has missed, turns into disaster when Joe’s violent tendencies come to the fore. Deciding that Joe is too negative an influence on his and Lia’s lives Minka quits, only to discover Lia has taken her own life.
At Lia’s funeral, Minka refuses help from Joe. He shaves his head, and decides to join the criminal world without the protection of his father by working with Pinball alone. However in order to gain PinBall’s acceptance, Minka must take a hit of the drug ‘P’.
Minka’s reward for taking ‘P’ is to meet the notorious underground drug Chef ‘Gordon’ - who Minka discovers is not only Zoey’s father, Spanner, but he has been pimping Zoey out to dealers. Still under the influence of the drug, Minka steps in to intervene in the rape of Zoey by PinBall, and ends up in a life and death struggle. Only the desperate intervention of Zoey and the timely appearance of Joe saves Minka from death.