Bullhead

The film plays out in present-day Belgium while occasionally flashing back to roughly twenty years earlier. It juxtaposes adult Jacky’s steroid-fueled volatility against a dark childhood trauma that set his course toward violence. The time frame allows the hormone mafia to operate in the modern economy while revealing past events that shaped the characters' loyalties and fears.

The story unfolds across Belgium’s rural heartland, centered in Sint-Truiden and the surrounding provinces of Limburg and West Flanders. The setting shows farmyards, veterinary clinics, and market towns where cattle farming is deeply tied to local power structures. The landscape emphasizes hard-working communities under pressure from illicit hormone trafficking and the shadow of organized crime.

💪 Masculinity

The film probes toxic masculine ideals, where physical strength, aggression, and body modification dictate status and power. Jacky’s rage, steroid use, and willingness to resort to violence reveal how gendered expectations fuel brutal acts. The movie uses these dynamics to explore vulnerability hidden behind a hardened exterior.

🧠 Trauma

Trauma threads through both past and present, driving characters to cling to secrets and revenge. The childhood assault that castrated Jacky crystallizes into a lifelong fixation on dominance and control. The narrative uses memory and pain to justify the characters' impulsive violence and sour relationships.

💰 Power and Crime

The hormone mafia exposes how crime thrives on economic networks and local loyalties. The blend of cattle farming and illegal trade highlights how legitimate livelihoods coexist with criminal undertakings. The story examines how power, money, and influence corrupt communities and law enforcement alike.