I used to think of myself as a pretty cultured fan of film. I would watch foreign flicks from time to time and, at one point, thought I had a finger on the pulse of what was going on outside of the States. It wasn’t until I started Repulsive Reviews, however, that I really became aware of how many great films were really truly out there, waiting to be discovered. The latest to cross my path is Rene Eller’s We.
The Plot
Eight friends — four boys and four girls — want to make the summer the most exciting they’ve ever experienced. What starts off as experimentation and fun soon turns to homemade pornography, prostitution, blackmail, and more. It all culminates with a tragedy that none of them saw coming.
My Thoughts
I have put myself in a position where I receive multiple emails a day about new upcoming releases from various companies. While I don’t necessarily have the opportunity to receive copies of all of said releases, I am lucky enough to get a few here and there. One company that always excites me with their new titles is Artsploitation.
Artsploitation releases films from around the world, movies that I would literally never even hear of if it weren’t for them. The subject matter differs from title to title, but they are always entertaining in their own way. Fortunately, We is no different.
This 2018 film, titled Wij in the Netherlands, is a coming of age story like I’ve never witnessed before.
Broken into four parts, each told from the point of view of a different teen, We tells the story of one exciting summer amongst best friends. The teens experiment with their bodies, having sex with each other whenever the opportunity presents itself. When this isn’t enough, that’s when things start to get more serious.
The teens, made up of Simon, Liesl, Thomas, Jens, Ena, Ruth, Femke, and Karl, all come from privileged households and would rather have fun than work hard for the money they need/want. This leads to making home-made porn to sell online, which leads to having sex with strangers, which leads to… you get the picture.
Part 1 of the film is told by Simon, and while it leads you to believe you are getting the entire story, it isn’t until you watch Ruth’s Part 2, Part 3 told through Liesl’s eyes, and finally the final part by Thomas, that you truly see the big picture.
Each youngster has their own unique personality and the actors portraying them are all amazingly talented. We, with its subject matter, fun or otherwise, could not have been an easy movie to make. Yet, these performers each blow it out of the park.
It is difficult to choose, but I must say that my favorite performance is delivered by Aime Claeys. While Thomas is personally my least favorite character, due to his dastardly deeds throughout the film, there is no denying the sheer skill it took to portray such a character. Claeys is definitely someone I’d love to see more of in the future, as he promises to be as big of a star as he wishes to be.
We at Home
We will officially be available on DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow, February 18, from Artsploitation Films.
The home release Blu-ray presents this 100 minute Uncut Directors Edition of the film in a 2.65:1 format with a Dutch audio track and English subtitles. The film is not rated.
Artsploitation Film’s home release does not have any special bonus features, unfortunately. I would have loved to hear the thoughts of the cast and crew about the making of this film, but sadly none of that is present with this release.
The Verdict
We is not a horror film. That shouldn’t be shocking considering the various films I’ve reviewed here, especially lately. It does contain some pretty dark stuff, however. That alone should tickle enough of your fancies to at least consider giving this one a watch.
It is part drama and part thriller, but it doesn’t matter how you classify it; It is a good watch nevertheless.
Pick up a copy of We for yourself, as I give it 4 Eiffel Tower in your Eurotunnels out of 5.
