New Polish movies in 2023 in Cinema & on VOD
Top movies up for release in 2023 in cinema and on VODBest Polish movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ or DVD in 2023
2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and the 2010's best rated Polish movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ & More).
EO
DIRECTOR: Jerzy Skolimowski CAST: Isabelle Huppert, Jacek Murański & Mateusz Murański Taking great inspiration from the experimental Robert Bresson film Au Hasard Balthazar, EO is a film where the central character is a donkey. With a story told entirely through his eyes, the donkey goes on a journey of his own across Europe, finding good and bad stories as he tries to figure out the world he lives within. Directed and co-written by Jerzy Skolimowski (11 Minutes, Essential Killing), this unorthodox drama won the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival and boasts a cast that includes Sandra Drzymalska, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Mateusz Kościukiewicz, and Isabelle Huppert. Read more
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Silent Land
DIRECTOR: N/A CAST: Dobromir Dymecki, Agnieszka Żulewska & Jean-Marc Barr A couple who are deeply in love decide to take off for a vacation on an Italian island. The rented home they acquire is perfectly placed for a sunny getaway. But when their pool breaks, they find their relaxing stay is challenged by both the water conservation and the peculiar strangers of the area. It’s enough to take their once pristine relationship and turn it into a chaotic bout of arguments. Directed by Agnieszka Woszczynska, this vacation drama stars Dobromir Dymecki, Agnieszka Zulewska, and Jean-Marc Barr. Read more
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Gierek
DIRECTOR: Michal Wegrzyn CAST: Michał Koterski, Małgorzata Kożuchowska & Antoni Pawlicki Edward Gierek was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party during the 1970s. He would become one of the most important figures in both Poland and the 20th century for his legacy and standing up for the Polish people. This biographical drama comes from director Michał Węgrzyn (Proceder, Rage) and stars the talents of Michał Koterski (Wszyscy jesteśmy Chrystusami), Małgorzata Kożuchowska (The Plagues of Breslau), Rafał Zawierucha (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.), Jan Frycz, and Cezary Żak. Read more
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Sweat
DIRECTOR: Magnus von Horn CAST: Magdalena Koleśnik, Julian Świeżewski & Aleksandra Konieczna Sylwia Zajac is not just a fitness motivator but a social media celebrity as well, relishing in the attention of her followers and admiration of her employees. But what she seeks is what no social media app can give her, hoping that she can find some real intimacy outside of her online presence in the world of fitness. But can such love be found when her life is so wrapped up in the hussle of an online and business presence? This bittersweet drama follows her for three days in this biting social commentary on connections from writer and director Magnus von Horn. Read more
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Corpus Christi
DIRECTOR: Jan Komasa CAST: Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna & Eliza Rycembel Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia) is serving in a detention center for second degree murder. While there, he has a spiritual awakening and a strong desire to become a priest, a profession that is not easy to obtain with a criminal past. Once leaving the center, he finds it hard to land the job. Only by pretending to be a priest does his dream come true when he acquire the role through a series of errors that lands him ministering a small parish. Read more
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The Coldest Game
DIRECTOR: Lukasz Kosmicki CAST: Bill Pullman, Lotte Verbeek & Nicholas Farrell Josh Mansky (Bill Pullman) was as much as a brilliant mathematician as he was a bitter alcoholic, following his history of being a US chess champion. His life takes a strange turn, however, when he is sucked into the world of political espionage during the turbulent times of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After being kidnapped by the American secret service, he is forced into a chess tournament where he will face off against Soviet champion Alexander Gavrilov (Evgeniy Sidikhin). Read more
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Monument
DIRECTOR: Jagoda Szelc CAST: Zuzanna Pawlak, Anna Biernacik, Paulina Lasota, Karolina Bruchnicka A group of students arrive at a hotel, beginning their internships. There's is something odd about the place, and the students slowly discover everything is not quite what it seems. A stunning, uncanny psychological thriller from one of Poland's most talented young filmmakers. Read more
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Cold War
DIRECTOR: Pawel Pawlikowski CAST: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza Following the dazzling success of 2013's 'Ida', Polish director Pawel Pawlikowksi with a sweeping, jazzy tale of an impossible love set over the course of some 20 years. Shot in black and white, this movie is nostalgic, visual stunner. Read more
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Zjednoczone stany milosci (United States of Love)
DIRECTOR: Tomasz Wasilewski CAST: Julia Kijowska Magdalena Cielecka Dorota Kolak Shot in sombre tones, 'United States of Love' tells four different tales of women who are dealing with their newly acquired freedom after the demolition of the communist system. Beautiful cinematography and strong acting performances makes this Polish movie one of the standouts of 2016. Read more
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RATING: 65/100
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In The Name Of
DIRECTOR: Malgorzata Szumowska CAST: Andrzej Chyra Mateusz Kosciukiewicz Maja Ostaszewska Poland is a country where the conservatie Catholic church still holds a strong position, which makes Malgorzata Szumowska gay drama film In the Name Of all the more daring and controversial. It deals with Adam, a young Catholic priest who is a closeted homosexual. After he messed up some things earlier in his life, he is now living in a small village, working with troubled teenagers. He seems to have his life back on track, until he starts having feelings for one of the boys he’s working with. In the Name Of is a beautifully shot and sensitive film about the burden of celibacy. Read more
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RATING: 64/100
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Floating Skyscrapers
DIRECTOR: Tomasz Wasilewski CAST: Mateusz Banasiuk Marta Nieradkiewicz Bartosz Gelner Another Polish gay drama, but that’s were the comparisons with the aforementioned film end. Whereas In the Name Of is visually colorful and, in the end hopeful, Floating Skyscrapers is bleak and ultimately depressing. Kuba is a young and talented swimmer who lives with his girlfriend at his bossy mother’s place. When he falls in love with another man, he sees his world slowly falling apart. Floating Skyscrapers, elegantly and exclusively shot in shades of blue and gray, is a confrontational portrait of a young homosexual in a society where, apparently, still a lot has to be done in terms of gay emancipation. Read more
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RATING: 64/100
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Aftermath
DIRECTOR: Wladyslaw Pasikowski CAST: Maciej Stuhr Ireneusz Czop Zbigniew Zamachowski Poland was one of the countries that suffered the most from the Second World War, that much we know. As in every big war, there are thousands of mini wars fought on a local scale., which Aftermath illustrates harrowingly. The films takes place in 2000, as Franizek, a Polish emigré returns to his home country from the United States after his father died. At home, he learns that his estranged brother is obsessed by Jewish tombstones which were resurfaced after heavy rainfall. At first Franizek doesn’t quite understand his brothers’ urge to do justice to the graves, but as the local population becomes increasingly hostile to them, he’s determined to find out what’s going on. Aftermath works well as a thriller dealing with historical matters that still slumber today, even though the script is sometimes a bit too obvious in making clear what it’s trying to achieve Read more
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RATING: 73/100
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Ida
DIRECTOR: Pawel Pawlikowski CAST: Agata Kulesza Agata Trzebuchowska Dawid Ogrodnik You often wonder why contemporary directors decide to shoot a film in black and white. It’s an aesthetic choice obviously, but it doesn’t always really add value. Well, in Ida, it does. It actually increases the film’s authenticity. Ida follows a young soon-to-be nun in the 1960’s who embarks on an inner journey after she discovers her Jewish origins. The bleakness of post-WW2 Poland couldn’t have been portrayed more convincing, which is the cinematographers merit. The film’s greatest triumph is Agata Trzebuchowska though, who balances brilliantly between hardness and serenity in portraying Ida. In color, she wouldn’t be half as enigmatic and enchanting. Read more
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RATING: 74/100
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In Darkness
DIRECTOR: Agnieszka Holland CAST: Robert Wieckiewicz Benno Fürmann Agnieszka Grochowska Director Agnieszka Holland, who once started her carreer in film making as Andrzej Wajda’s assistent, is definetely one of Poland’s most prolific directors. During her career, she made films in over five countries. The last couple of years she was particularly involved with shooting TV series. And not the least, so to say, as she directed several episodes of high profile TV shows like The Wire, The Killing and Treme. In Darkness marked her return as a true Polish film director. It is a craftfully made WWII drama about a sewer worker who helps escaped Jews into hiding. In Darkness is a moving film that will have you on the edge of your seat, even though there’s the inevitable amount of cliché WWII hero worship. Read more
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RATING: 73/100
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Pokot
DIRECTOR: Agnieszka Holland CAST: Agnieszka Mandat-Grabka Wiktor Zborowski Jakub Gierszal Pokot is a new Polish mystery drama directed and written by Agnieszka Holland, one of Poland's most successful and renowned filmmakers. It deals with an elderly woman living alone in the woods who starts to discover a series of strange murders that all seem to be connected. She believes the murder isn't human, but rather an animal... Read more
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RATING: 84/100
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Now of course Poland isn’t exactly an obscure country when it comes to cinema. In the mid-fifties, the Polish Film School emerged. Directors like Andrzej Wajda and Andrzej Munk took advantage of the liberal changes the country underwent. Their films dealt often with Poland’s post-war history, most notably Wajda’s masterpiece Diamonds and Ashes (1956), and were heavily influenced by Italian neorealist films. A bit later, Roman Polanski surprised the international community with his debut film Knife in the Water (1962), a claustrophobic thriller which earned Poland its first Academy Award nomination. And then in the 80’s, to take a leap forward, Krzysztof Kiéslowksi rose to fame with Dekalog (1988), a series of one-hour films which were shot for television originally, but were released in cinema’s internationally after critical acclaim.
In the 2000’s, it was relatively quiet. Not many Polish films were released, in Holland that is. Of course the Poles didn’t stop making films. Recently however, a few nice Polish films did find their way to the cinema’s over here. An eruption! So let me sum up the essential Polish films of the last couple of years.
