Spijt!

"Spijt," a Dutch drama film based on the book by Carry Slee, tackles the sensitive and pressing issue of bullying with a poignant narrative and compelling performances. The story revolves around Jochem, a teenager who becomes the target of relentless bullying at school, and his classmate David, who struggles with his own sense of guilt and responsibility.

The film's strength lies in its realistic portrayal of high school dynamics and the impact of bullying on both the victim and those around him. The young cast delivers heartfelt performances, particularly Robin Boissevain as David, who captures the internal conflict and emotional turmoil of witnessing his friend's suffering.

"Spijt" is visually striking, with a style that underscores the emotional gravity of the subject matter. The director, Dave Schram, handles the difficult topic with sensitivity, ensuring that the film is both engaging and thought-provoking without being overly didactic.

While the film can be heavy-handed at times, it succeeds in raising awareness about the consequences of bullying and the importance of standing up against it. "Spijt" is a significant film for teenagers and adults alike, offering a sobering reflection on the impact of our actions and the power of empathy.

Second part of the film is good, but it's a shame that some details are embarrassing... such as the scene where the two guys are doing a paper route. Watch the door... first it has a mailbox in the door, second scene it disappears. And at the end of the movie, everybody is reading a newspaper with the headline. Well, the headline is okay, but the article doesn't deal about the subject at all. It deals about political parties in the Netherlands,such as the VVD and the CDA. Some effort could have been taken to write an article so the visitors in the movie theater won't be surprised by an article that deals about something completely different. A shame... Overall. The movie is okay.

I watched this movie with my Daughters age 9 and 11. We really got carried away with it. It gave us a mixture of feelings like anger towards the bullies and sorry for the bullied. It gave me a feeling of wanting to stand up for the guy being bullied really dragging me into the movie. This movie really got my emotions flowing and that's what makes this movie a success in my opinion. The acting though not bad, could have been better now and then.

The plot was good and the casting was even great. I can't imagine the guy being bullied played by someone else. It even came with another surprising side-plot.

So this movies does what it's supposed to do.... Get you thinking and wanting to stand up against bullies. Me and my daughters really liked it and talked about it after wards.

I had high hopes for this film and they came true.

the movie I'm really shows a good picture of bullying and not only from the background of the bullied , but you also get a good look behind the motivation of the bullies and how difficult it is to sit in a classroom and not say anything against it.

The acting, I found very good, The story even better.

at times the movie is different from the book, but not in a negative way

I give this movie 9 stars, and I hope that this film will be shown in many high schools

This movie is the adaptation of the book which was my favorite when I was in high school. 'Spijt' was really intense and involving. It was a book written from the perspective of David, a high school student. He witnesses how his overweight classmate (Jochem) is constantly bullied by three classmates. David wants to help the Jochem, but just as his other classmates he is afraid he will receive the same treatment from the bullies. I was always waiting for when they would make a movie about this book. So I was really happy and curious when this became a fact this year.

I'm satisfied with the final result. The acting is solid. More often than not, this is over-the-top in Dutch movies. I like how they developed the character of the major bully. The side-stories from the book are toned down, so the focus stays on the bullying. This resulted also in some deviations from the book, but they didn't bother me. The movie succeeds in being true to the source while embracing the new medium.

There are some flaws though. The movie starts a bit slow and some characters and stories from the book could have been explored more, since they affect the major story line. However, the movie really picks up in the final act, after a dramatic event, after which everything is done right. Furthermore, I suspect that some changes are made compared to the book just for the sake of including some actors in the movie, like Voice Kids winner Fabienne Bergmans. Also, the bullying sometimes seems a bit unrealistic, since the victim is a pretty large guy, who could easily overpower his bullies. Moreover, modern ways of bullying like using social media are not explored.

Even so, the result is still a decent movie. The movie meets its goals. It appeals to its audience and delivers awareness around bullying. The movie is actually part of campaign against bullying. I recommend this movie to fans of the book and to people who have not read the book as well.