How I Became a Gangster

Atmospheric, well balanced and worthwhile. And, not the traditional 'violence and gangsta glorification' movie as we all know a bit too well from titles as & like Pulp Fiction.

We're being told the story of a Polish gangster, first hand. He takes us with him through his very first criminal steps during childhood, when communist Poland was part of the Warschau-pact, up to when he's become a seasoned capo in the 2000's.

Although it is obviously a movie and as usual scenes are therefore a bit romanticised every now and then, the entirety of this movie feels believable. Once it gets really started, the life of the main character enfolds and captivates the viewer. With realistic character development and a great music selection to add to the atmosphere, this movie progresses from a somewhat shallow story at first sight into a really captivating tale. Very well done.

A little gem afaic.

How I Became a Gangster (2020) is a bruising, stylish dive into the underworld of Poland's criminal elite, trading Hollywood gloss for Warsaw grit. It's not just another rags-to-riches crime saga, it's a study in obsession, loyalty, and the raw hunger that fuels the Polish mafia's rise. The film pulses with unflinching realism, drawing you deep into a world where charm is as lethal as a bullet. The narration feels confessional, almost conspiratorial, turning the viewer into an accomplice. Director Maciej Kawulski sidesteps cliché, crafting a character-driven story that never glamorizes its violence but lingers in its aftermath. The gangland hierarchy is depicted like a chessboard soaked in vodka and blood, where one wrong move means checkmate. This is Eastern European noir at its most captivating, it's icy, intense, and undeniably magnetic. For fans of gangster cinema craving something authentic, this is a brutal breath of Slavic air.

A well made movie that gives not only a perspective of crime but the way that bonds with the criminals.

The story is similar to mafia-crime syndicates but it has many modern facts and interesting twists. The main character is fighting his way up to the scale using even his family and close friends to succeed it. All the other characters are unfolding the story in a parallel way with the main character. Although in the beginning they weren't any gun fights, and it seemed to be a not gun killing movie after the middle guns showed up to cleen the path to the top.

This comes to verify that extreme violence brings power.

Overall a nice movie, not expected so nice but it really keeps the pace and reaches the end with a pleasant way for all.

Great talented young actors, amazing plot, interesting, exciting and unpredictable. Great characters. The main character is complicated but relatable. Very smart fresh approach towards gangster movies.

Proud of such polish production!

This film is a copy of many others in this genre: first person narrator, crushing amounts of filthy language, slow motion shots, Pulp Fiction-style supposedly funny dialogues between thugs, glamorization of banditry, etc. It portrays a group of individuals with whom it is impossible to sympathize, who do foolish things and use disgusting idiom. I suppose it would hurt less to watch if they didn't use my native language Polish. But they do. This makes it unbearable. The sad thing is that young impressionable youths, who are the typical audience of such productions, easily pick up the same linguistic habits and outlook on life, which turn them into the same class of cultural and moral cripples as the characters of this sorry attempt at film-making.