57. All My Friends Are Dead ( Wszyscy moi przyjaciele nie zyja); movie review

 

 

ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD ( WSZYSCY MOI PRZYJACIELE NIE ZYJA)

Cert 15

96 mins

BBFC advice: Contains injury detail, sex, suicide, sex references, language, violence, drug misuse

Well, that was one heck of a New Year's Eve party!

A rookie detective (Michal Meyer) rolls up for his first investigation with a seasoned officer (Adam Woronowicz) to find a pizza delivery boy (Adam Bobik) hanging from the ceiling, apparently having committed suicide,

He fears that he may have made a schoolboy error by losing some evidence but then it transpires that is the least of his problems because in a neighbouring room more than 20 people are also dead.

So, how did so many young revellers meet their maker at the same party and why are there no witnesses to the carnage?

Let's be clear - All My Friends Are Dead is aimed at audiences who are much younger than me.

So, while I baulked a bit at its bawdiness and its overflowing violence, I am sure many in their 20s might find it a right good giggle.

The black humour is set in a big house where every party guest is overtly sexy.

So, initial flirting is replaced by full-on rumpy-pumpy in several of the upstairs bedrooms where weapons can also be found.

Yep, this bunch aren't just satisfied with regular how's yer father - they are into kinky/dangerous stuff.

Such pushing the boundaries results in the first death and much of the movie is based around the efforts to cover that up.

But as the action becomes more sweaty and the drink flows more freely, emotions begin to become even more frayed.

Among the party-goers is Gloria (Monika Krzywkowska) - a nearly 40-year-old teacher who has a much younger boyfriend but still looks to others for a good time.

Then there is Anastazja (Julia Wieniawa-Narkiewicz) who believes that horoscopes are going to find her ideal man.

And Daniel (Konrad Zygadlo), who, amid the chaos, actually thinks it is a good idea to propose to his reluctant girlfriend (Katarzyna Chojnacka).

There are many other characters who have their own superficial storylines which mainly involve sex, drugs, drink, violence or possibly all four.

Indeed, there is no pretence of depth to All My Friends Are Dead - every scene is done for a quick shock or laugh and director Jan Belcl gives the impression that he doesn't want us to care about the characters.

As I've already indicated, some young people may go for this speed-dating type approach. I wanted a bit more depth - and not in the oo'er missus sense.

Reasons to watch: Bawdy black comedy

Reasons to avoid: Not funny enough

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Julia Wieniawa-Narkiewicz was last seen in Netflix’s other Polish thriller The Hater and her credits include Women of Mafia, Kobiety mafii and Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight. She has over 1.9 million followers on Instagram and she is also the co-founder of Jusee Cosmetics. 

The final word. Jan Belcl: "I can say that we have been fighting for this film for many years - I think that if it weren't for the support of Mitja Okorn (creative producer), we wouldn't be talking to each other now. In the meantime, I was creating new versions of the script, refining it at the same time. After such a long time, I knew everything - how individual things should look like, what the viewer should feel when watching a given scene, what the editing should look like ... even in my head I could hear the potential soundtrack all the time." Kultura Na Co Dzien

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