Gangsta

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.

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!

'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.

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

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.