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'Gangsta' tells the tale of four friends who are out to make a quick buck. What better way than to deal coke in Antwerp, Belgium, the so-called coke capital of Europe. In doing so the four dealers trigger a war between them, two Amsterdam drug lords and a Colombian cartel.

Adamo (Matteo Simoni), the main character and his three buddies look and behave like gangsters but are far from it. To them their new way of making fast money is a fantasy and that's what directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah want to make you feel. They glorify the whole gangster life and it shines through in the distinctive look of the film. It's a different take on the classic gangster movies but that doesn't mean it's better. While 'Scarface' is being referenced a couple of times the movie has more in common with Michael Bay's 'Pain & Gain'.

It all looks and sounds flashy but there's little underneath that shiny surface. The plot is rather simple and the characters are flat and sometimes downright annoying. The directors pull all sorts of tricks (visual and with the narrative) to blow you away but eventually it's overkill. El Arbi and Fallah have shown with their two previous movies ('Image' and 'Black') that they're capable of making dark gritty movies. I get that they want to show that they have more up their sleeve (the duo wants to break through in the US) but sometimes less is more. Take away half an hour of the runtime and it would have been easier to digest.

Although all the blitz and glam can't hide the shortcomings of the movie it's still quite a fun ride. I can see it doing well among youngsters.

Kudos to Matteo Simoni who really shines as Adamo. Simoni who is known more for his comedy parts in Belgium is quite impressive. Debuting Nora Gharib is a gem and Dutch rapper Ali B is a great addition as the twisted Hassan Kamikaze.

A fast-paced drug-fuelled urban story. Unlike any other film in Belgian cinema history this flick keeps the finger on the pulse aiming at a young audience. The rumor mill spun out of control as the directors were linked to big budget action movies but with this one they obviously want to follow in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese, and did a great job. Speedy cuts, voice-over story telling and raw humour will have uncle Marty in stitches, the Wolf of Wall Street is never far off. Foreign viewers will miss out on the true crime references but be aware; 75% of the events portrayed actually happened in Belgium & Holland in the 2010s. Some minor stuttering in the tempo and unnecessary twists & turns in the plot keep this from getting a straight A.

The writing is okay, albeit cliché, and I enjoyed the Morrocon Belgian culture since I grew up with a lot of Morrocon Belgians. Matteo Simoni however was really unconvincing as a Morrocon. Like, think James Franco in Spring Breakers unconincing. Not even mentioning his really forced accent; They also tried to kinda imitate the neon-y vaporwave feeling but they only did it like 3 times which made it feel really out of place, as the rest of the movie didn't fit the same "neon" feel.

The story was okay but I got kinda put off by how forced the whole thing felt. I feel like some of the cast just didn't fit at all. They wouldn't found better people to play the main guys just walking through the Sleepstraat once.

The movie has a pretty good storyline. The special effects were on point.

As an inhabitant of Antwerp I can say this movie really captured the coke culture in the city. There are some nice insider jokes in the movie referring to real situations (the cops ripping off illegal immigrants, the stolen Colombian coke that set of a drug war) and characters (the black Amsterdam dealer,), so the script ain't no fantasy. All this mixed with an eighties pop/neon/Miami Vice-shooting makes this one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time.

Bad writing, cliché dialogues and incredibly flat characters lead to wretched performances by otherwise good actors like Matteo Simoni.

Belgian directors Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah made 2 good relatively good movies before this one: Image and Black. Yet Gangsta/Patser is a absolute mess. The story is all over the place, the characters are depicted as lowlifes who are unable to do anything meaningful but bark at each other and repeat lines from cult movies as Scarface over and over and over. It has been a long time since I watched a movie with characters as flat as the ones in this film.

El Arbi and Fallah really missed a chance of making a great movie here that would put themselves and lead actor Matteo Simoni in the spotlight. In some sort they actually did this, but not in a positive way.

Making a movie about the drugtraffic in Antwerp is a creative and contemporary theme, but certain actors in this movie aren't even actors which results in very bad acting.

I don't understand people talking crap about this movie. It is one of the best acting in Belgian movie history. Brought to you by Adil & Bilal. The same guys that are about to produce Bad Boys 3... It is well written based on true events.

Don't watch. You will be sorry for wasting that time. Better watch new jack city for the 100.000.000nd time!

For the ppl not used to having subtitles....try it, this is very much worth it....it is a very nice documentary of a regular weekend in Antwerp...please visit our small cousy town!

Nah, a bit exaggerated of course...allthough we do - apparently - are the number one in coke shipments....and in bad roads, but nobody made a movie about that yet....great acting in my opinion a great cinematography and music....thanks to Adil and Bilad....awesome job guys.

The story was dumb and the acting was way too forced, so were the jokes and "funny" scenes. Over the top stereotypes, like a lot of them. They were trying to go for multiple directing styles which made it unappealing to watch. The ending was very predictable. There's probably more things I could say but sums it up a bit. Just don't waste your time on this one.

Great story, perfect performances, amazing actors and a killer soundtrack ! Must watch.

Too bad, as a Dutch I couldn't understand what they are saying even tho they talk Dutch.. they also use words I wouldn't use. It's too cringe for me.

I speak flamish (belgian language) and the acting may seem bad fore some people but if you speak my language u will see its pretty good the actors are famous in belgium and evrybody loves this movie in begium but i think the ending whas a bit heavy but still a great movie

Not one normal conversation in this pic, always one strong line and another strong answer, that's it. Trying too hard to be "street-wise". Characters are flat, stereotyped and over the top, it will be hard to find one maroccan in Antwerp that actually talks like this. Hand-held camerawork is nauseating. I cannot understand why this movie was so hyped in Belgium. Avoid.

One of the best action movies I've seen a long time. Patser knows what it is, an action movie, and know what it wants, to entertain people, and does both things brilliantly.

The performances are stellar, especially Matteo Simoni's, and the visual style is electrifying. I can't watch it again!

Bad movie with too much use of the word cancer. I hate this.

Thats for sure, and the wilder and grittier its get the better they are.

its a modern take on the figure who lived by the motto ''the world is yours''. its a drug trafficking and drugselling crime action thriller of uttermost quality, and when the columbians have had it and comes to take the culprits, i think youd wet your pants too. it all happemns in antwerp, a sleepy inland port town in northern belgium, that has got their drug gangs and businesses, covered up in bars, pizza parlours and kebab shops, and wher human trafficking and and prostitution goes hand in hand with the dope.

its a colourfilled film with coolio music, rough tough babyfaces and shiny automobile as kingpin worthy. its a lot of torture and kills, it all happens so fast, so you really feel the quagmire clenching up your legs when 90 mins are done, and still there are 30 min to go. add to that police corruptness, and combined with coke snorting judges and magistrates, well its a rotten world well described.

i love the speed of this movie, and the actors do a marvellous job to make this feel real, and the funny moment of head over heel action are brilliant. there aint many a flaw in this one, everybody gets a fistfeeling or feels the lead in bed 6 feet below, its a haily recommended thriller thinks the grumpy old man

First 15min is covered in V.O. and moronic high speed editing. Like watching an action movie sequence but with normal dialogue scenes. Completely nauseating and obliterating any kind of character development.

When this movie came out I added it in my to-watch list but then for some reason I completely forgot about it. It's only after watching the sequel Patsers (or Gangstas for the English title) that I realized I just watched the sequel before the original. It doesn't really matter though as you can easily watch both movies in any order although it is better to start with the original. I liked both of them equally. I really like the style of directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Their way of making movies is special and if they get the right budget they will make other gems in the future. Patser is mostly fiction, but you can't deny they got their inspiration in the messed up drug scene of Antwerpen and the Netherlands that at one point got seriously out of hand. To this day, and I'm writing this in 2025, it's still very much the same, still going wrong. The acting is very good and that from the entire cast. I watched the two movies in a couple of days and I can only say that they are quality entertainment.

Belgian cinema disappoints more than anything else. Rarely do we see a movie that truly grasps us, swirls us around and lingers. And this movie. This movie doesn't do it either. Absolutely not. But, seen the budget and the semi-random trust Adil and Bilall (directors) were given by the studio, this movie is quite nicely executed.

A dull storyline, with dull characters that look like the wannabe Power Rangers and a dull performance by Matteo Simone - who more than once falls through his more than forced accent - are guided by a dull musical score. Actually, it looks like Adil and Bilall just thought "well f it, let's make a movie that's fun to watch". And it is fun to watch: nothing more, nothing less. The camera tries to be interesting, but never truly stands out. And the performances aren't captivating. Some neon extravaganza, some true talk about racism, some love side-plot. Bad, but fun.