The Combination

In 2005, after serving time in jail, John Morkos returns home to his family in Sydney. He tries to readjust to everyday life while keeping a low profile. The return sets the stage for the struggles he will face within his community and with his loved ones.

John finds work as a cleaner at a boxing gym owned by an Aboriginal man. The job introduces him to the local boxing world and the people who will influence his path. It marks the first step in his attempt to rebuild his life.

John saves Sydney from an assault by two men, earning her trust and sparking a connection between them. They begin a romantic relationship that becomes central to the story. Their bond is tested by the violence surrounding them.

John discovers that his younger brother Charlie has been involved in fights between Lebanese friends and white students at school. The tension around him highlights the brewing ethnic conflict in the community. This early trouble foreshadows later violence.

Charlie, pressured by his peers, begins selling meth with his friend Zeus for Ibo, the local drug kingpin. The drug trade pulls Charlie deeper into criminal networks and escalates danger for the family. The operation intensifies the clash between Lebanese and Anglo groups.

Tom punches a stranger after losing an arcade game, triggering a larger fight when the stranger’s friend intervenes. Zeus holds the opponent in a headlock, and Tom stabs him to free Zeus, ending up in jail. The incident highlights how violence spirals out of control.

Tensions between Lebanese and Anglo students rise, culminating in a brutal gang-bash led by Scott against a Lebanese boy. The clash underscores the fragile peace within the school and foreshadows further retaliation. John and the others feel the weight of the escalating conflict.

John tries to persuade the Lebanese students not to retaliate after the bashing, but Zeus ignores him and later confronts Scott at a nightclub. The confrontation shifts the conflict from school to the nightlife scene and increases the risk of lethal violence. The feud moves toward a breaking point.

Sydney’s racist mother threatens to kick her out if she continues seeing John, causing a heated argument between the couple. They fight but eventually reconcile after recognizing their shared mistakes. The conflict reveals the wider social pressures surrounding their relationship.

John finds Charlie’s stash of drugs and flushes it down the toilet, attempting to curb Charlie’s fall into crime. The act demonstrates John’s willingness to intervene in his brother’s life, despite the risk. It also signals the fragile line between protection and control.

Zeus starts a dangerous altercation at a nightclub, punches Scott, and ends up shooting him, killing him. The violence leads to Zeus’s arrest and compounds the community’s fear and anger. The incident marks a turning point in the escalating feud.

Unable to raise the money Ibo demands, a drive-by shooting is carried out on the Morkos home. The attack targets John’s family and heightens the sense of danger around them. The community’s safety feels increasingly fragile as violence spills into their street.

John turns to the boxing gym’s owner for the money demanded by Ibo, hoping to protect his family. Charlie is murdered by Ibo with a shotgun as he walks home from school. The loss exposes Ibo’s brutal reach and the cost of their resistance to the drug lord’s grip.

John confronts Ibo and savagely beats him in revenge for Charlie’s death, nearly killing him. The act signals a deep rupture in John’s life and his willingness to take justice into his own hands. He then makes a fateful decision about Ibo’s fate.

After deciding to leave Ibo’s fate to his neighbours who also hate him, John returns home to his family. Sydney is pregnant, and the family attempts to rebuild amid the violence that has surrounded them. The ending focuses on restitution, resilience, and the uncertain future.