F20 (2018) User Reviews

Not so great

[rot93 · 5/10 · 1 March 2020]

Actors were fresh. I liked that. But they didnt deliver quite well, maybe there was also little bit overreacting scenes, and the script was in some points poorly written. But i give it a 5 because its a Croatian movie and the project as the procjet was really great. Like for example camera work and the scenes was really beautifully taken. So the crew bassically did a great job!

Fails to deliver

[fofexu · 2/10 · 17 December 2018]

The film was promoted as bringing something fresh into Croatian cinema and it completely failed to do so. Everything was typical and actually probably done even worse than usual. It was just another Croatian film that underestimates its audience by showing absolutely every average member of society as incompetent.

Presents clichés about its target audience

[ropukile · 3/10 · 27 December 2018]

This film strived to offer something different compared to other local films. While the genre is not typical for its country, the element of novelty wasn't present because we are all exposed to other "international" films of this genre. The intention was further nullified by the fact that the story was predictable. It was like a mishmash of things already done numerous times in other films of the genre.

The title of the film itself could be called a "spoiler" and it is elaborated immediately in the beginning but perhaps it would have been better if the meaning of the title was revealed more gradually because like this we aren't left to guess. On top of that, the film relies on coincidences a few times- sometimes so one can turn a blind eye but on some occasions it seemed too much to give it a pass. The film's target audience was teenagers, which can be proved by the fact that two local influencers were engaged to promote it. However, the screenwriter, director and producers are middle-aged men so they incorporated their assumptions about today's youth without seeming to have experience with it. Youth is portrayed as being interested in solely wild partying and wild behavior in general, plus at the same time they are all bad students.

The relations between old and young are clichéd as well and the adults are villainized in a cheap attempt to make the youth more sympathetic. Furthermore, not only was the story predictable but the dialogues were as well. And both weren't credible. The slang used by young people in the film is based on stereotypes.

The film didn't intend to be deep but pure fun, which can be acceptable, but when things are presented this badly, it doesn't succeed in at least this.

I don't mind bullies i just don't like them

[DinoDominic27 · 7/10 · 11 April 2020]

WARNING all of the uber negative comments must of been written by the same persone.

• A reviewer says, "It was just another Croatian film that underestimates its audience by showing absolutely every average member of society as incompetent." so an english teacher in a film represents all english teachers of the world and if that teacher fails to teach 1 student something that means, following the "logic" of this guy, every english teacher in the wrold is incompetent ?
• Here we go again, COMMENT #2 again, "adults are villanized in a cheap attempt to make the youth more symathetic" how about the director tried to raise the stakes?? Why would the girl run from her father, where would the tension come from if the father was a gentle, understanding man? Than she would be just another rebelious teen and you'd complain she's too clishe, there's such a thing called suspension of disbelief, it's expected, it's A MOVIE.
• ALSO "the slang is based on stereotypes"? Yes, and? I've heard those same convos a thousand times, word-for-word, so what? If they had a twist on it of their own, you'd say it's too weird, unrealistic, no one speaks like that.
• Subjective 8, objective 5.5 It's a good time, short but sweet, with a li'l bit of cringe, a perfect film for a rainy day.

Too few things to commend it for

[pevejeya · 3/10 · 2 January 2019]

I've seen some praise that the film doesn't look cheap in spite of its budget not being lavish. While that is praiseworthy in theory, it becomes pretty irrelevant when the story is this bad, the characters are so stereotypical, and the acting is uneven- ranging from good performances to those that are not.

One of truly most exciting Croatian films in decades

[LilyAlicia · 9/10 · 25 July 2019]

I watched all of Arsen's previous films and considered them as some of the very best that Croatian film industry has to offer, so I expected this one with excitement. Luckily, I didn't get disappointed. On the contrary, it cemented my feeling that his films simply don't belong to the mediocre world of Croatian filmmaking. Although dealing a very sensitive subject, which is mental illness, he managed to make an exciting, thought-provoking and entertaining film which never loses its steam. Arsen has again managed to surprise, both the critics and the audiences, by choosing a subject, genre and style which has nothing to do with his previous films, aside for his impeccable sense for storytelling, inner rhythm of the film and emotional impact. His directing is again masterful as it manages to hold the story together, creating pace that many Hollywood directors would envy him for. He once more manages to discover young talents who are simply perfect in their roles. It becomes almost as a cliché that a young, undiscovered first-time actor would excel in Arsen's films. He again chooses great songs and picks a young band, giving them a chance to showcase their talents. Similar to his previous films, the editing and the cinematography are excellent as well, making this film one of truly most exciting Croatian films I've seen in decades.

Disturbing...

[bisicaloh · 1/10 · 17 July 2019]

I was disturbed. But not by the movie's attempts at horror and suspense but by how poorly the characters and the story were done.

delivers on its promises

[adnansatri · 8/10 · 28 September 2019]

I watched "F20" twice and I do have to admit that only the second time I managed to catch all the little details to which I couldn't pay attention the first time I saw the film. At first, you are completely immersed into the story since the pacing is flawless and you don't have any time to notice, for example, the lead's character's name in the video game. Once you can focus your attention to read it and once you realize what it is, even the title of the film gets another meaning. It seems that the fimmakers paid their utmost attention to every detail, making this film one of rare European genre films that actually delivers on its promises. Once the story starts unraveling, it doesn't stop till the very end and you definitely appreciate the ride. Young leads are great, the music is awesome and the song performed in the club is really excellent.

The screenwriter ruined it for everyone

[lorajilasi · 2/10 · 24 July 2019]

Most people working on this project didn't do that bad of a job. I can even look aside at the fact that a few actors seemed to overact at times. But it all becomes irrelevant when the screenplay is so appalling that no amount of decent work from everyone else can save it from being a failure. The plot is very formulaic so how things will progress and end up can be easily guessed. It is filled with stock-characters who at points become caricatures. Their motivations are either stereotypical or not credible enough. We all deserved better.

High quality movie

[tomislav_petric · 9/10 · 24 September 2019]

I watched this film at the Croatian national film festival in Pula, among the crowd of several thousand people and it was truly an eye opener. It is no wonder that the film has received a very high audience vote, one of the highest in the past 10-15 years of the festival. The way the story was told, the way it was performed by actors, the way it was designed, shot and edited and the way the soundtrack was chosen, it was indeed like watching one of top quality Hollywood genre films, with a touch of European flavor. Kudos to the filmmakers who succeeded in holding attention of several thousand audience members in Pula's ancient Roman arena, and drawing a long lasting applause after the end of the screening. It was good to know that Croatians are capable of producing a smart genre film that makes sense and that can be suspenseful, entertaining and emotional.

SERIOUS AND ENTERTAINING

[mgw-01784 · 10/10 · 17 March 2019]

I read that the filmmakers made this film with their own money, on a shoestring budget, but throughout the film it was absolutely impossible to conclude it was actually a low budget film. The production values are quite high and the car chase sequences are among the best I've ever seen in European films. What I also find interesting is the blend of video games and real action, since the lead character spends most of his time playing video games. (the filmmakers are using clips from a very popular video game SCUM). At first I wondered about how this would work together, since I've seen some unsuccessful examples, but in this case the filmmakers pulled it off quite nicely, making it entertaining as well. Still, there is certain seriousness about the project as the filmmakers claim that it was inspired by a true story. Some of the shots are very artistic (the entire sequences at the shrink's office or the lead character's flashbacks), creating a kind of an artistic genre film. For me, one of the best elements of the film were the lead actors. Supposedly this was their very first film and I have to say that they've done an amazing job, like real pros. Their characters are completely believable and convincing. The sex scenes were done tastefully and interestingly, and it seems that the characters also like filming themselves having sex. Overall the film is quite entertaining but also serious, as it touches on the issues of schizophrenia and mental ilnesses. The only thing I'd wish was slightly better is the screenplay. At the end, I felt that the film steered more towards a standard genre rather than a European art film. Still, the story was coherent and nevertheless unique, making it worth the money.

Finally a different kind of Croatian film

[CVMMS · 9/10 · 22 March 2019]

After having seen quite a number of Croatian films this one came as a total surprise. I admit that I didn't expect anything new, but F20 manages to deliver strong punches and keeps you glued to your seat for the entire duration of the film. It is completely void of any standard Croatian subjects and themes, such as war, social situations, politics, etc., and tells a story of a young couple trying to escape from the city in the middle of the summer to party at a well-known party beach. Things go terribly wrong so instead of fun and games, there are dead bodies left behind and a trail of blood following them to the very end. The acting is truly excellent, especially knowing that the actors are very young. The cinematography is exquisite, as well as the directing. In my mind, one of the best parts is the music. One of the songs, sung in English by an up-and-coming band is excellent, and a real hit. This is the kind of a film that I'd gladly watch again.