Piktuju Karta

Greetings from Lithuania.

I'm not a biggest fan of movies made in Lithuania - in my opinion, we can't made good films. Yet there are few exceptions, and then there is "Piktuju Karta" (2021). This is simply the best film made in this country in probably - ever.

Clearly inspired by "Silence of The Lambs", Se7en" and some other exceptional movies made in Hollywood and Sweden, "Piktuju Karta" tells a story of two generations meeting in this day and age - and its the worst outcome that people can do. I won't spoil anything, but brilliant film maker Emilis Velyvis did a terrific job - at running time 1 h 50 min i was glued to my screen in every minute with no boring second. The film was very violent in some scenes, yet never to gory. Acting was briliant as well cinematography, editing and music. Script was top notch.

Overall, I was absolutely blown away by "Piktuju Karta". This is the best Lithuanian thriller i have ever seen and just might be the best film ever made. Great film in every possible way.

I did not know what to expect from this movie and I was still pleasantly surprised. An engaging and complex yet easy to follow plot with depth, intriguing setting and good acting performances, however some actors were better than others. Characters were well written and the conclusion unpredictable. Personally I thought the ending could've been just a bit better but it was definitely surprising. The soundtrack was either really good or odd in certain scenes but that's about it. Well worth a watch even for people who don't care that much for lithuanian cinema. This movie reminded me of Prisoners (2013) so if you enjoyed that, give this a go.

Finally the acclaimed rebel movie director surpasses bot himself and the many curses of Lithuanian filmmaker to produce a believable and easy to follow story on screen. Yes, the theatrical acting still surfaces here and there, its so ingrained. On the other hand, it is skillfully held in check by Velyvis who should be well aware of this Lithuanian trademark. While almost getting rid of all the storytelling inconsistencies and shallowness of plot that made the previous oevres not so great, Piktuju karta retains everything that made the director's creation so enjoyable for spectators: best actors, grim scenkgraphy, gopnik humour and last but not least - Vova. A very enjoyable and surprisingly mature. Btw, I liked the gory bot not overly realistic death masks made by young Sauka (as I presume), well done. My wish for Emilis would be to never take a step back from the right direction. A 9 from me.

The first time I saw the trailer of this movie, I thought it would be a snooze fest. Can't thank enough the friend who convinced me to go. The actual movie was a very pleasant surprise.

The thing I appreciated the most was a genuinely good plot. It keeps the suspense till the very last scenes of the movie. Besides being a proper thriller, it encompasses a Lithuanian, or rather a post-soviet, problem of the identities of KGB agents being kept a secret. So the story revolves around ex-KGB guys carrying on with their good lives and staying in power due to a strong network of people, who help each other out to keep their secrets hidden. But it's not only the ex-agents who are self-serving. The potential whistle-blower in the 90s had a chance to expose them, but didn't leak the files because she wasn't paid enough. The newsroom editor is an informant who tells the KGB who has the stolen files before they can go public. So, in this regard, it really shows a generation of evil, when a lot of people who could have done the right thing didn't do it, because it didn't serve their own interests. I think this aspect of the plot is very clever.

It's a thriller, so obviously there's murder. I personally hate the gruesome images of dead bodies, so I was not looking forward to those scenes. However, the murders were really inventive. I don't want to spoil it, but the way people got murdered, really helps to unravel the story. Even death comedy is on point.

The last thing I liked was the reference to the current Lithuanian small town politics, because the place and the blond female mayor must be based on a town 50 km from Vilnius.

The annoying things were the character of the daughter, who was overly dramatic and not believable, but she didn't deserve that prolonged violent scene. That was extra.

All in all, after seeing this, I told my friends and family to go see it for themselves. It's worth it. It's actually a good enough movie for international audiences too. I see it has been making some rounds in the UK, where there is a big Lithuanian expat community, but the movie should be interesting even to those who have no idea where Lithuania is on a map.

I started watching this film with an attitude 'ah, all the Lithuanian films are kind of average, I never really like them but my friend recommended it so let's give it a shot'. But you know, it really surprised me. It had suspense, interesting plot, great actors, and the ending was unexpected but good unlike many Lithuanian films with weird-ass endings. I think this one is my favorite!

The thing I particularly liked was the believable plot about '90s Lithuania where people seeking independence exposed soviet agents but did it in a way that materially benefit them too. That was the soviet culture - everyone looked after themselves to survive. That felt very real.

Overall, if you want an evening with a great thriller, this is your choice. You won't be dissapointed.