In much the same way as racism and sexism, extremism is something that is not genetic, and therefore can only be learnt.

This fascinating film, set in Belgium, a country that has seen its fair share of terrorism, focuses on an impressionable young mind, as his so-called religious studies lead him on a very dark path.

13-year-old Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi) is not your average teen. He has recently given up the usual things teenagers get up to, like playing video games and having posters up on his wall, as he takes his religious studies more seriously.

As a Muslim, this means a lot of praying, and a lot of studying, which he gets from the local Imam, a person of note within the Islamic hierarchy. His mother (Claire Bodson) is concerned, particularly when his attitude towards her becomes more extreme, as he considers her a bad Muslim.

It transpires that she has every right to be worried, because Ahmed’s indoctrination leads him to attempt a despicable act, as he attacks someone whom he believes to be an infidel, which results in him being sent to juvenile detention.

There, he does his best to fit in, whilst still finding the time to pray, and appears to be responding well to rehabilitation. What his case workers are unaware of however, is that it's more difficult than you would think to ‘unlearn’, as Ahmed continues to disguise how reformed he truly is.

Young Ahmed marks the eleventh feature that Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have collaborated on, which they have produced, written and directed together.

It’s a film that certainly raises more questions than it answers, as well as managing to leave you quietly disturbed.

The brothers manage this result mainly from giving their film an almost stripped back, documentary feel. There is no soundtrack to heighten the mood, and more importantly, very little dialogue from Ahmed himself, meaning that the audience is always unsettled in not knowing what he’s thinking.

The emotional tie to the character is cleverly fluid, swinging wildly back and forth. In doing so, the Dardenne’s create a compelling narrative that will hold your attention right up until the final frame.

It also addresses not only how easy it is to radicalize a young mind, but also how easily it can go undetected within a community.

But what it does, more than anything else, is just accentuate the fear as it illustrates how the threat can come from not only where you least expect it, but also who, making this film deeply fascinating as well as absolutely terrifying.