Set in West Yorkshire, England, the bond between Arbor and his best friend Swifty is the heart of the film, which follows the boys—totally devoted to each other in the waning days of prepubescence—as they struggle to help themselves and their desperate families. Finding success as freelance scrap-metal collectors, they're able to pay off their parents' bills. But this is under the auspices of a scrap-metal mogul whose moral rot will eventually drive the boys to the film's stunning climax, a shock that traffics in Edward Gorey levels of darkness. (DAVID SCHMADER)