We Die Young

Lucas is a fourteen-year-old trying to steer clear of the gang life in Washington DC, even as the street world closes in around him. He refuses to let his younger brother slip into the same dangerous path, offering a stubborn promise of protection. When a battle-hardened Afghanistan veteran moves into the neighborhood, a risky chance surfaces that could tilt the balance between safety and threat. The story tracks a tight, tense atmosphere as loyalties blur and the line between right and wrong becomes harder to draw. The film surveys how age, duty, and neighborhood codes collide under pressure. Its ending favors quiet resilience. The film asks what distance a family will travel to stay together and what they will forgive.

Directed by Lior Geller from a script by Andrew Friedman, the film released in 2019 with a four million dollar budget. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme alongside a young cast in a tense urban drama for fans of street stories.

The film did not receive major nominations in prominent awards circles. Critics largely commented on its performances and social themes rather than awards recognition. There were no televised wins or nominations noted, and it did not feature in major festival awards. No significant nominations were reported in ceremony circuits.

The title has a modest footprint beyond its release and has not spawned a widely cited quote or iconic scene. Its influence remains mainly within niche crime drama conversations rather than broad pop culture, though some viewers discuss its realistic urban texture in discussions about crime realism online.

Critics describe a brisk, grim portrait of street loyalty and family duty under pressure, with the arrival of a veteran shaking up a fragile order. The film probes how violence and protection collide, and Van Damme's presence lends a human pulse.