The global streaming service NETFLIX has added a very interesting war drama from Belgium to its program. The film of the same name by director Tim MIELANTS was created based on the novel WIL by the Belgian writer Jeroen OLYSLAEGERS.
Antwerp during the Nazi occupation: two young police officers (Stef AERTS and Matteo SIMONI) are forced to work with the German occupiers. The two of them, Wil and Lode, don't like it at all. One night an unexpected death occurs when they have to accompany a field gendarme (Pit BUKOWSKI) who is engaged in blackmail. Despite great fears, Wil and Lode secretly join the Antwerp resistance, which is also thanks to Lode's tomboyish sister Yvette (Annelore CROLLET). But the three did the math without the cunning SS-Obersturmführer Gregor Schnabel (Dimitrij SCHAAD). He sneaks up on Wil's fun-loving Aunt Emma (Tine Van den WYNGAERT) and, together with his torturing henchman (Szymon WROBLEWSKI), gets closer and closer to tracking down the resistance...
The film shows the conditions during the war as they probably were. The two idealistic young police officers also have to deal with willing followers in their own ranks and the speechless civilian population standing by. A clever portrait of the conditions at the time! And a coherent consideration of the question of how one would act even in times of greatest danger.
The three young main actors are supported by seasoned film actors from Flemish-Dutch cinema. Kevin JANSSENS (CLOSE, 2022), Koen De BOUW (DE PREMIER, 2016) and Jan DECLEIR (ANTONIA, 1995 and KARAKTER, 1997) can be seen in smaller roles.
And Dimitrij SCHAAD, who is known from the KANGAROO CHRONICLES (2020), cuts an excellent figure as the diabolical Nazi villain.
Worth seeing!
