Miséria

This is a unique film created on a non-existent budget basically by two former criminals - one of whom plays one of the main roles.

The primary target group for the film is (young) people the creators believe are at risk of being lured in and ending up in gang crime. The authors want to "vaccinate" these against the temptation to enter this world.

They try to illustrate the mechanisms behind gang crime and show the misery of the leaders.

The film has barely a handful of professional actors, the rest are pure amateurs.

It is a stripped-down and raw film without filters that in some parts can be described as a psychological thriller. Clear focus on what is happening inside the characters.

The movie is missing a lot of things. Bad acting, no budget, the drama doesn't engage and the action is ver poorly done.

I was hoping this move would show us the real life of criminals in Sweden but it didn't make it all the way.

I really don't understand how this move made it to the cinema, this movie should been available in SVT (Swedish public Television)

The plot is very messy and you never understand why the main character takes so poorly decisions. You never get to understand what motivates him to do everything he does and you never get DU understand who is his friends or enemies.

A lot of things happen without any kind of explanation.

Don't waste your time or money on this movie.

What in the world of gangsters is it you would actually want? Answer: Nothing.

That's the premise of this movie, together with a desire to present faith in Jesus as the way out of it all.

This could easily be a recipe for being preachy, but on the whole, the filmmakers manage to pull it off. The emptiness of the drugs-cash-fast cars-guns-and-girls world becomes painfully obvious simply by showing it as it is.

In fact, the movie becomes truly claustrophobic to the point where it makes you want to get up and leave the theatre - not because the movie is bad but simply because you feel desperate to experience some sense of freedom again. You just want to get out of that world even when only watching it on film; how desperate those truly involved might feel is something you can't even begin to imagine.

It's certainly not a popcorn flick.

Moreover, a lot of crediblity comes from tthe fact that the film is loosely based on Sebastian Stakset's (Adam) own life, and directed by Liam Norberg who has made a similar journey in his life. These guys have been there. They know what they're talking about. All they have to to is open the lid to the underworld and show how deep the darkness goes for you to feel nauseous and grasp for anything that will save you from it.

Today, Sebastian Stakset has made a complete turnaround and has become a well-known evangelist in Sweden. It's very, very easy to understand his fervour after getting a glimpse of what he has come out of. However, I wish they would have shown a little bit more of that to underscore the message that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, not least for those who are unfamiliar with his story.

There's also a bit of dramatic motivation missing, both for the Adam and for the Frankie characters. You'd want to know what pushes them in their respective directions, especially at the end, where Frankie's actions become a bit inexplicable.

But then again, if this movie helps even a single person, it's been worth it all.

The movie is a raw portrait of the downsides of the criminal path. It is almost a bit more like a documentary than an action/drama movie in the way it is produced. That is probably due to a low budget. The acting is not the best and is in some cases really bad. Altough I personally think Ola Rapace make a good and scary portrait as the gang leader Chicago. The production and acting makes me think of the almost classic movie "Stockholms natt" in which the producer, Liam Norberg has a small role. As Miseria, that movie also used a lot of amature actors which gave it a bit of a b-movie feel but also made it likeable and raw on the other hand. I liked the movie and found it captivating. I have heard it beeing said that they did not develop the characters almost at all, you don't get almost any insight in the main character Adam's head. Although I think you can see a lot of his struggle and anxiety in the face of Sebastian Stakset who plays him. It could have made the movie a whole lot deeper if that was included and some more background and clarification to why certain events played out the way they did. Despite that I would recomend people to see it, especially if you have some insight in or work with preventing crime in Sweden.