Next to Me (2015) User Reviews

Well this surprised me! It's actually not that bad

[vmilenkovic2005 · 6/10 · 11 October 2015]

I reluctantly agreed to go watch this film with my friend, because i personally don't have a really good track record with recent Serbian films,and I'm not gonna lie i was ready to hate it. But to my surprise the film was generally very good. One of the positive things about the movie is the acting, i thought that Serbia had no good young actor until i've seen this film, there were no cringe worthy performances, virtually everyone was splendid. Also the dialog felt very natural, you really did believe that does were high schoolers talking, which i was really glad to see, in that aspect the script was really good. The cinematography and editing was really professional and effective, you knew what was going on and you knew who was doing what, which is very commendable. Main themes in the film revolve around the social structure in an average Serbian high school, it also touches on peer pressure, and a need for close friends, and general acceptance from society for who you really are. It also focuses on the generational gap in not just Serbian but western society in general, which is well demonstrated in some scenes like the teachers monologue in the beginning of the movie, and with the older principals confusion with her cellphone. The film surprised me how it dealt with a homosexual relationship, it was treated in a very respectful and believable manner which i applaud.

Those are all great things but the film does have it's share of problems. I personally felt that the cast was to big, because of that some characters were underdeveloped (like some jocks or the class nerd,which didn't really have any obvious character arc, in other words they stayed the same throughout the film and you really didn't get to know them). I am assuming that's because if it had a smaller cast then it would look to similar to "Breakfast club", although i could be wrong on that one. And i think that the teacher should have been more prominent in the film, she only shows up in the beginning of the film to instigate the plot of the movie, and I think it was important for her to be more present so that the generational gap would be a little more obvious. I also don't believe that they should have shown us who was responsible for the attack on the teacher at the beginning, simply because that didn't really lead anywhere important regarding the plot of the film, it didn't lead to the confrontation between them and the other students or the teacher. The last thing i want to mention is that the general circumstance in which the students got themselves involved in didn't seem very believable. Basically the main flaws about the film revolve around the script, which is a shame because it could have been one of the best Serbian films in recent memory for me if it weren't for those negative elements regarding the writing.

All in all this is a wonderful refreshment for me regarding Serbian cinema in recent years, and I really wish more people would go see it in the theaters.

Really unexpectedly good movie.

[marijaceslava · 9/10 · 24 September 2015]

The only reason I went to see this movie is because I dropped my kids to the same movie theater . I looked to see what movie is approximately same length and starting at the same time as the movie my kids were about to watch. And -Pored mene- was the only one. What a great surprises it was. This is a real refreshment. Honest and emotional movie. Acting is very good by not so well known young actors.. Story line is done marvelously well. Being generation that went to high school in the 90s, without cell phones, I was curious to see this new kids today. But the movie is so much more, not just what happens when you take the connection to the world (aka cell phones) from them.It is more then that for sure. . It goes over so many problems that high school kids are going thru. Love, hate, drugs, music,etc.. This movie is set in Belgrade Serbia, but I think audience worldwide can relate to it as well. It is unique set of problems. Do not miss this movie.

Best movie I have seen this year.

[MoonSnoopy · 10/10 · 29 September 2015]

I must admit I was expecting the rehash of the same old teenage story already told when I was planing to go watch it, but I decided to give it a try and I haven't regretted the decision.

Acting is superb, and the story is the real picture of what happens in Serbian high school's albeit little bit exaggerated in some moments. From the identity crises to shame of being poor, and hiding your sexuality. It all happens. Drug dealing and the connections between hooligan groups and the students are part of the everyday lives of these kids, and the film shows it. Enthusiasm of some of the people that work in the schools is also shown through the actress that plays their teacher, and the resignation of the older generation also through magnificent Mirjana Karanović, that shows for a few minutes, but steals the show. Also the actress that plays "The Gothic Chick" is a great example of kids that are forced to grow up earlier and look on their peers through different eyes. She has a great career in front of her I predict. Her character is one played with such conviction that at the moments you forget that she acts, and start believing that she is that character in reality. Lead who plays The Basketball player is great at showing other side of the sports player, which is not often shown in the movies. Problems that he has to deal with and the maturity that his character brings to the fictional class, are worth of the sympathy. And maybe the biggest praise goes to the Slaven Doslo, that plays the cocky cool kid, who is the most popular boy in the class. All the girls want him, he has good looks, etc. all the things that matter to the kids of that age, but the secret that he hides, is all to well known to some people. He is great at conveying that message. All the props to the rest of the actors that play other students, and the supporting characters. They really did the great job. In my humble opinion this is The Best movie from the Serbia in last few years. I recommend it to all, especially to the kids that are still going to the high school.

Political message is spot on

[mastankovic · 10/10 · 7 February 2021]

Serbia is a deeply troubled country and the message of this movie os spot on. Execution needs work of course but Filipovic is tackling important subjects and that's good.

Not so good...

[ninanijefina · 4/10 · 25 January 2017]

The point of the film was to depict the problems in society: poverty, youth behavior, homophobia, nationalism by presenting one class in high school, but everything is so blatant that loses a point. Everything is so stereotypically and a little bit cartoonish. The story itself has potential but Filipovic has no talent to get the most out of the story. On the other hand this is way better than his first movie "Sejtanov ratnik" which was extremely stupid. This film reminds me too much to "The Breakfast Club" and it is evident that the inspiration and maybe the whole idea was taken from there and just adapted to today's conditions. It has been raised a big noise about this in Serbia, but film really is not anything special, it is incomplete and at times even boring...

The one who is unable to create by himself, he steels

[mudoje_srbendic · 1/10 · 25 October 2015]

It's obvious what am I referring to. After two 'overly inspired' films from Filipovic in the likes of Romper Stomper and something else in his first film which I don't remember at the moment, he managed to 'steel' one more: overall concept of this film coincides with The breakfast club. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The only change is (for him) usual presentation of antagonism between nationalists and 'liberal, urban members of society'. The essential idea of characters interacting closed in the classroom until something significantly changes in the climax of the film is copied from aforementioned film.

Total waste of time

[milstar · 1/10 · 26 September 2019]

Coming from my homeland, this movie is exactly everything I hate about our cinema. Troublesome youth, pretentiousness, poor acting (except Mirjana Karanovic who is typically much better actress than human being), deep meaningful subject matter that ultimately lead nowhere... Basically, what one messed up generation might do without their cellphones, locked in a school in Serbia? Whole movie feels like it's staged for country's immoral liberalism vs nationalism/conservatism counterpart , where is obvious which side the director picked up. The movie is boring, uninspired, plot is nearly non-existent and overall, I feel like I was being lectured, which is frivolous from a filmmaker to do so, as movies don't have power to change things. Certainly not in country called Serbia.

If this is the future of our movies, then I am deeply afraid for us. I am not saying that what was presented isn't true, just is done for the wrong purpose.

Awful movie made for political reasons

[simiccmihajlo · 1/10 · 16 May 2020]

I cannot believe why this movie has 7.1/10 at the point I'm rating it. It's entirely a political movie that bends logic just to have a point. And I don't mind a movie having a political message if it's well tucked into the movie's plot, but this movie is made entirely to have a cheap plot point - my ideology good and sane yours is bad. Nothing in the movie makes sense, eg. teacher taking their phones away and locking them in a school. What? The dialogues are some of the most unnatural I've ever seen, it's not even cheesy, it's just poor.