Wil

This movie is produced in Belgium and based on a fictional novel. It tells the story of Wilfried (Wil) Wils, which just started working for the Antwerp police in occupied Belgium during WW2. After just having finished his police training in 1942, we see how he struggles with the events he experiences during his job as police officer.

The City of Antwerp is a very relevant location during WW2, not only because of it being a huge harbour, but also because of the city having many jewish inhabitants. Even today, the city of Antwerp is known for its "Diamond District", which houses many jews. As such, Antwerp was facing many razzia's during WW2, where jewish people were rounded up for deportation. And it is in this climate, that we see this movie take place.

Although this movie is not based on true events, I think that it is still relevant for any person interested in WW2. This since it shows what is expected from being a police officer in a city with many jewish inhabitants.

I found the overall storyline not that impressive - but the movie was still a very okay watch. This mainly because I was pretty impressed by how everything looked: all uniforms and other props looked authentic for the 1942 period. Most impressive are the houses, streets and other locations like e.g. The central railway station looked! As such, I really had the idea I was watching Antwerp as it may have looked like in 1942.

I score this movie at 6.7/10, resulting in an IMDb rating of 7 stars.

I went to see this movie because I absolutely loved Mielants' first film, De Patrick. I knew nothing about Wil, and didn't read the book, but went solely because it was another film by Mielants. And it did not disappoint.

The story is a bit thin (you can kind of guess where the movie's going), but the cinematography is beautiful, and the acting is very solid. I was not bored throughout the movie, and was also moved emotionally, especially near the end. While it's an entirely different type of movie from De Patrick, you recognise Mielants' signature style in it. Visually it's a also very impressive movie.

The choice to crop the screen so that it feels more like a movie of old; and the way the movie is shot very up close and personal in all actors' faces, really contributes to the suspension and feeling of unease. The score and music of the movie was also amazing.

I think this is a very strong movie made by one of Belgium's most talented directors.

Despite the poor title(the character isn't referred to that much, even more so for the audience to remember his name) and a uninvolving romantic sub plot with his friend's sister that is underwritten, this is a chilly, well acted drama.

Like Munich: The Edge of War and One Life the German occupation is a catalyst in providing a tense background for a story where anything can happen.

I thought the bleakness added to the overall tragedy especially at the end, which may alienate some hoping for a happy ending.

With The Zone of Interest and One Life , the topic of the Holocaust is still prevalent and important.

Where to start ...

Wil is a serious film, and it leaves an impact on you. Based on the novel 'Wil' by Flemish author Jeroen Olyslaegers, it shows the grim sides of working as an auxiliary police officer during occupied Antwerp in 1942. Moral choices and consequences are displayed incredibly well in the film, and make you think about what's worth for survival and what not. Who to betray and who not. Who you would risk your life for, and who not.

It leaves a great impression on me, going from extremely violent images, to sensual, to the type of moral choices that are presented that no one is really capable of making.

A very powerful film, I would absolutely recommend it. The trailer doesn't do the film justice at all!

This movie while surely based off of a fictional story, does however give you insight into the mentality and moral conflictions all of these young and old men of the police had to face during nazi occupation. The reviewers criticizing the movie about the cruelty having to be seen or captured is one of if not the most idiotic thing to mention. The movie is based off of the holocaust. Is it supposed to show you confetti when somebody is shot in the face? Was the director to replace the gestapo with clowns with big funny noses? The movie is intentionally set in the grim past of reality, the movie is the perspective of Wilfried, a recounting of witnessing cruelty beyond words could describe. And the criticizing of the movie being slow or boring, not every movie about world war two has to be filled with tanks, planes, and machine guns. You don't need needless action to portray a message encapsulated in this very movie. As far as others calling this a nazi sympathizer film, did you even watch the movie? The character is objectively and morally against the Nazi collaborators and actions of the gestapo when he was faced with it. The long stares are purposeful and meaningful, the gut wrenching imagery Wilfried sees would haunt any man woman or child witnessing it first hand in a world where you've never seen a man being tortured with boiling and ice water, a world where you've never seen men and women turn on their countrymen and women over propaganda aimed to dehumanize the jewish people. This movie has the character reeling from each new day that comes, because each day seemingly gets harder and harder to cope with. 9/10 I'd have given it a 10 had it been longer.