Wil

During war and conflict survival trumps all else. There are different ways to survive for ordinary civilians.

However, as a police officer in German occupied Antwerp, Belgium Wil's options are limited. Does he collaborate and watch other civilians die brutally at the hands of the German Gestapo? Does he join the resistance and fight the German occupation?

There are no easy answers in this - or in life. Sometimes it even becomes hard - or impossible - to change course midstream in the extreme circumstances precipated by war.

As a movie, Wil adroitly puts on screen the complexities of life and the choices required to survive during wartime. The film is well acted, realistic though slow - hence the seven 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.

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!

As "Wil" (2023 release from Belgium; 114 min.) opens, we are in "Antwerp, 1942", and the Nazi have occupied the city. We are introduced to Wil and Lode, 2 guys who have just joined the ranks of the Antwerp police. They loathe the Germans but are forced to work with them... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from writer-producer-director Tim Mielants, bringing the best-selling novel of the same name by Jeroen Olyslaegers to the big screen. I have not read the book and hence cannot comment how closely the film stick to the book. What I do know is this: this is a hard-hitting movie about the moral dilemmas of people who are put into an. Impossible position. Beware: there are several scenes of violence and worse that are sure to make you feel uncomfortable. There is no sugarcoating of what life was like under Nazi occupation. As a complete aside: I hail from Antwerp, Belgium (but now a longtime resident in the US) and I can't help but feel a little disappointed how little of the actual city is shown in the movie. "Wil" was a runaway success in Flanders, Belgium last year (sold the most tickets of any film released there in 2023; also just swept the local equivalent of the Oscars).

"Wil" premiered in Belgium last September, and it just started streaming on Netflix here. If you are in the mood for a tense movie that is heavy on moral issues of Nazi occupation in WWII, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

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.