Another hit of the creators?
At the very beginning, it is worth noting that the creators are responsible for the Black Mill , thanks to whom we could admire Behind the Blue Door . It was a film that went beyond the scope of Polish youth cinema in every possible aspect, which is why I expected a lot from the authors’ latest production. Moreover, I was not disappointed at all. Let’s start with the story of the Black Mill. Here we meet a group of kids who live with their families in a tenement house in a remote area. The area is additionally disgusted by an abandoned mill, closed since the tragic accident in which the father of one of the children, a boy named Iwo, died. The heroes ride bicycles around the area, help their parents, play, have fun, lead an ordinary life. Until the monstrous mill building emits bizarre signals, however, and all electrical appliances disappear from the apartments. What’s more, after a while people also begin to die …
A familiar version of a famous story
It might seem like we’ve heard this story hundreds of times before, and the Black Mill will be another clunky carbon copy of the hit Stranger Things . However, this is not the case! We get a refined, indigenous Polish story in which viewers can learn even elements of their childhood. Rural idyll, picking cherries, feeding rabbits, cycling trips – we know it all! Here we are also met with a dark adventure, but everything has a familiar atmosphere, which clearly distinguishes the film from the American series mentioned earlier. The plot is perfectly tailored and will also impress an adult audience. Only the ending is quite predictable, but it does not spoil the perception of the painting.
Young people take over Polish acting?
Actors of the younger generation, who play first violin in Czarny Młyn, were a big surprise for me. It is very common for children burdened with the weight of the main role to fail to fall out naturally and spoil a large part of the film. Here the situation has turned and it is adult, experienced actors who cannot keep up with the artistry of their younger colleagues. The main character, played by his namesake, Iwo Wiciński, is a real masterpiece performed by a young artist. Not once did I have the impression that the boy was playing – he was just his character. Let us add to it Pola Galica-Galoch, who was played perfectly by a girl with a disability. It looks much worse in the case of adults. Iwo’s mother had one expression on her face throughout the movie, and her dialogues could not be listened to. Even such names as Marcin Dorociński look pale in this film with young people. Is Polish cinema waiting for a revolution of generations?
Special effects are a pain in Polish cinema
The creators used interesting solutions to build tension. The viewers watch, for example, a field strewn with dead birds, heralding a strange energy emitted by a mysterious mill. There is no cliché here, and the creators used really unusual themes. Moreover, they were very well made. Taking this into account, it is surprising that the special effects are very poor quality visible in the kind of final fight of the film. I’ll be honest – they cry out to heaven for vengeance and resemble the CGI used in the 1980s in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Polish cinematography still cannot cope with computer effects, which is once again visible on cinema screens.
You have to survive the ending somehow
Unfortunately, it is not only the special effects that are a pain in the Black Mill ending . The whole movie then starts losing pace, and even the so far great acting performances seem to be artificial. Perhaps the actors themselves felt that the finale was too banal, too predictable, too weak compared to the rest of the really good movie. Still, I have to highlight one more scene that won my heart. One of the heroes is tasked with drawing the aggressive dog away from the rest of the group. It is done in cardboard armor and a motorcycle helmet, and the animal attacks it immediately. Even though it doesn’t sound very funny, the whole scene was downright hilarious. If I’m honest, I ‘d watch the Blackmill just for her.
We invite you to watch the movie Black Mill in the Cinema City cinema network!
