How I Became a Gangster
Original title: Jak zostalem gangsterem. Historia prawdziwa
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
A polish gangster discovers the senselessness of his life.A polish gangster discovers the senselessness of his life.A polish gangster discovers the senselessness of his life.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
Winicjusz Bartków
- Ziomas
- (as Wini-Winicjusz Bartków)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
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.
This Mafia Film is amazing! It has such a good soundtrack and I've watched it several times aswell! Would highly recommend this to anyone that likes action. It's quite funny too I was at the edge of my seat laughing when I heard wonda asking for a taxi driver to take him to women 😂😂. This film is also quite good if you want to practice learning polish as an English speaker. It's quite good for a 2020 film set in the past as it gives you a sense of polish mafia which nobody really knows about. This film is also based on a true story and you never get to know the main characters name at the end.
Long movie, but it did hold your interest. There were several twists that made you question your perspective for the story line. Expect to see the criminal lifestyle. No doubt this kind of stuff goes on and for the lower level criminals it is likely certain that life is the profoundly lived without certainty. For the foreign movies I've seen this one follows through with the same dinginess. One might think that after the destruction of Poland after WWII there would places in less shambles. The film did depict some housing that was quite nice, the starkness made one question if the difference was that great. Don't think I'd want to watch it again, but the first time through wasn't bad.
This movie is surprisingly good. I didnt expect much when I pressed play. Very good actors and acting. Very good storytelling. I love the music, the roughness and honesty in the movie. The fact that it is based on true events and a true story, makes it even more interesting.
The movie is in polish language, but one get use to that very fast.
It contains a lot of violence, sex, drugs and offensive language, so one must be alright with that.
There is plenty of action, but it also contains a lot of views on what makes us humans, what brings us together and hold us tied together. What is loyalty, friendship and love.
The movie is in polish language, but one get use to that very fast.
It contains a lot of violence, sex, drugs and offensive language, so one must be alright with that.
There is plenty of action, but it also contains a lot of views on what makes us humans, what brings us together and hold us tied together. What is loyalty, friendship and love.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaNatalia Siwiec's debut.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- How I Became a Gangster. True Story
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $5,975,729
- Runtime2 hours 20 minutes
- Color
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