Released: 6th March 2020 (Poland)
Length: 136 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Jan Komasa
Starring: Maciej Musiałowski, Vanessa Aleksander, Agata Kulesza, Danuta Stenka, Maciej Stuhr, and Adam Gradowski
Our modern, digital society may have enhanced connectivity between individuals, but it has also created many problems, some of which have only recently been revealed. The Hater (Hejter in its native Poland) appears to be a simple tale of a person consumed by anger, but is in fact an incredibly deep and well-constructed examination of a serious problem.
The film follows Tomasz Giemza (Maciej Musiałowski), a law student thrown out of his Warsaw college for plagiarism. Frustrated with the rejections of his peers, Tomasz blags his way into an unsavoury PR firm, whose primary purpose is to infiltrate and sabotage political rivals. In time, he becomes a self-motivated master manipulator, able to twist and mould Warsaw’s political scene on both sides of the spectrum. At one moment he’s engaging with a richer left-leaning family in a bid to get close to their daughter Gabriela (Vanessa Aleksander) and the next he conceals his identity in an online game to win over the far-right figure Stefan 'Guzek' Guzkowski (Adam Gradowski). Though much of his efforts concern the standing politician Paweł Rudnicki (Maciej Stuhr), a heavy target of right-wing trolls. We mostly follow Giemza’s perspective, with other characters interacting with him for both good and ill results. The Hater makes no qualms about its subject matter; this is a film about the dangers of online political discourse, the spread of misinformation and the polarisation across democratic spectrums. Its primary theme is consequence, which weighs heavily on both the narrative and the characters caught up in it. Fake social media accounts, graphic and provocative content and the weaponising of online communities are shown to be a deadly combination and as we see the results unfold on the streets of the city, The Hater achieves a powerful impact. It never loses its focus as the effects of Tomasz’s actions grow progressively worse over time.
Going for a realistic viewpoint, the characters of The Hater have their individual personas and desires; the film works to put them both alongside and against each other, creating many memorable moments. Our main protagonist is very much an anti-hero, one you’ll come to dislike more and more as the plot proceeds. At first, he seems fairly relatable, a member of the younger generation looking to make a career for himself. But the deeper he goes and the more influential he becomes; his empathy starts to slowly trickle away. Throughout the film, he starts to make use of previous experiences, often turning them against others. By far the best aspect of his performance is his facial expressions. Moving between anxiety, spitefulness and moments of guilt, Maciej Musiałowski does a fantastic job of displaying his character’s moral degradation. There’s a high contrast drawn between the two political sides in Warsaw, the more lavish events of the Krasucka family placed against the grotty hangouts of Stefan Guzkowski speaks volumes of the societal divides that fuel the underlying anger. Much of the characters are defined by the secrets they keep and the ways they start to wander out into the open. Take Beata Santorska (Agata Kulesza), the leader of the PR company; while at first, she’s sceptical of Tomasz’s abilities, she soon finds herself being manipulated as well. The sequences between the cast members are incredibly well-constructed; you can feel the results of choices coming to light and causing severe damage to both individuals and their public image. The only gaps in the characterisation are some of Tomasz’s external associates who only receive minor roles throughout the narrative.
The film’s straightforward aesthetics serve a seamless backdrop to the action. A series of quick edits across social media pages shows the protagonist’s political subterfuge taking form and this is complemented by the music. It’s ambient yet foreboding, enhancing the more tense moments where Tomasz puts his plans into motion. When the film’s climax arrives, the results are brutally effective, pulling the audience into the horror that unfolds with a single take that generates a visceral response.
The Hater is one of the best films I’ve seen this year and I urge you not to miss it. Its carefully crafted plot examines and deconstructs an incredibly dangerous threat to modern western democracies, showing how individuals can be manipulated, turned against each other and driven towards violent acts. Every main performance is stellar and the film just builds and builds towards some truly sinister consequences. If nothing else, it offers a suitably grim depiction of where our digitised, connected lives have led us to.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)
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