The Generation of Evil (2021) Poster

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8/10
Did not expect that
jubluester25 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Went to see this movie with little to no expectations, they were exceeded to say the least.

My thoughts for starters that this movie has everything we never had in Lithuanian movie industry. It is the first Lithuanian thriller that it is actually enjoyable to watch. Good twists and turns, well selected actors. Mr. Emilis Velyvis is not afraid to take risks and go all in. Overall, this movie ate and served.

May contain spoilers, lil rant situation: I think beating of a girl scene was prolonged, we got the message in the first half a minute, this scene should have been directed in a different way. Later the daughter claims that for her it is better to survive the assault again rather than be his daughter, It was so unbelievable, she hid the perpetrators identity from father just because of anger that he doesn't accept her homosexuality, cmon. I understand we want to see the main character crushed, however it fall short with the daughter. About the good stuff - loved a good comic relief in a tension filled morgue scene. Loved how you never know who the suspect is and it changed through the movie! Tasty closure! If the father survived was he elected to run for city mayor, probably not, but did he reunite with his family...no. He is still haunted by drunk Loreta to this day.

Congatulations to the team, with this exciting creation!
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9/10
Genuinely good
abijana_22 January 2023
I started watching this film with an attitude 'ah, all the Lithuanian films are kind of average, I never really like them but my friend recommended it so let's give it a shot'. But you know, it really surprised me. It had suspense, interesting plot, great actors, and the ending was unexpected but good unlike many Lithuanian films with weird-ass endings. I think this one is my favorite!

The thing I particularly liked was the believable plot about '90s Lithuania where people seeking independence exposed soviet agents but did it in a way that materially benefit them too. That was the soviet culture - everyone looked after themselves to survive. That felt very real.

Overall, if you want an evening with a great thriller, this is your choice. You won't be dissapointed.
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7/10
Competent Lithuanian movie
aurimasvisockis19 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Maybe because I do not watch that many of my country's movies, maybe because I do not watch that many movies in general and I've experienced some sort of movie draught, but this one... this one... had surprised me pleasantly. I was sceptical at first (I did not particularly fancy 'Zero', which someone holds as an epitome of Lithuanian filmography), but god damn were my expectations smashed in a good way.

The movie revolves around gruesome murders, which, at first seems to be a work of a maniac (because, who in their right mind would dedicate their time to cram-down a viper someone's throat or decapitate someone and than put a moose's head on the stump. And that's just few of examples), but as the movie presses on, it becomes clear that this is a calling card from the past for those, who have done wrong and now are in position of power. That's the most I will spoil of the plot.

The plot is competent. The acting is also competent, if at times I can see the unnatural talking, as if monologuing in a theatre play. The chosen music score is very good as well. At times, I was finding myself nodding along to the track.

I would have even given this movie a nine out of ten score, if the director would not have been afraid to break the taboo of not killing children in the movies, because what is the point of making a father suffer thinking that he has lost his child only in the next scene for the father to find-out (and rescue) that his son is alive and well? The killer should have gone the extra-mile to shatter any hopes and dreams of the father before killing him, because the final scene was that kind of deus ex machina or should I call filius ex machina that I cannot abide. A primary schooler saves the freaking day?!

I mean, in a way I get it, it's within the confines of the movie's title: "The Generation of Angry Men". The child watches a woman burning alive and his father bleeding-out, and, thus, the cycle doesn't close. But, I don't know, would have thought-out, if I was writing the script, to somehow incorporate the thing with the rubble with how many people were killed and in the end for the killer, before shooting one of the main characters, to say to him: "Here's your pieces of gold coins" (alluding to Judas).

But, hey, I'm not the screen-writer here. Just rambling on...

So, yeah, in conclusion. GO SEE THIS MOVIE.

7/10.
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10/10
What a pleasant surprise
a-sm9 November 2022
The first time I saw the trailer of this movie, I thought it would be a snooze fest. Can't thank enough the friend who convinced me to go. The actual movie was a very pleasant surprise.

The thing I appreciated the most was a genuinely good plot. It keeps the suspense till the very last scenes of the movie. Besides being a proper thriller, it encompasses a Lithuanian, or rather a post-soviet, problem of the identities of KGB agents being kept a secret. So the story revolves around ex-KGB guys carrying on with their good lives and staying in power due to a strong network of people, who help each other out to keep their secrets hidden. But it's not only the ex-agents who are self-serving. The potential whistle-blower in the 90s had a chance to expose them, but didn't leak the files because she wasn't paid enough. The newsroom editor is an informant who tells the KGB who has the stolen files before they can go public. So, in this regard, it really shows a generation of evil, when a lot of people who could have done the right thing didn't do it, because it didn't serve their own interests. I think this aspect of the plot is very clever.

It's a thriller, so obviously there's murder. I personally hate the gruesome images of dead bodies, so I was not looking forward to those scenes. However, the murders were really inventive. I don't want to spoil it, but the way people got murdered, really helps to unravel the story. Even death comedy is on point.

The last thing I liked was the reference to the current Lithuanian small town politics, because the place and the blond female mayor must be based on a town 50 km from Vilnius.

The annoying things were the character of the daughter, who was overly dramatic and not believable, but she didn't deserve that prolonged violent scene. That was extra.

All in all, after seeing this, I told my friends and family to go see it for themselves. It's worth it. It's actually a good enough movie for international audiences too. I see it has been making some rounds in the UK, where there is a big Lithuanian expat community, but the movie should be interesting even to those who have no idea where Lithuania is on a map.
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8/10
A solid thriller with an interesting setting
siskauskasmantas14 December 2022
I did not know what to expect from this movie and I was still pleasantly surprised. An engaging and complex yet easy to follow plot with depth, intriguing setting and good acting performances, however some actors were better than others. Characters were well written and the conclusion unpredictable. Personally I thought the ending could've been just a bit better but it was definitely surprising. The soundtrack was either really good or odd in certain scenes but that's about it. Well worth a watch even for people who don't care that much for lithuanian cinema. This movie reminded me of Prisoners (2013) so if you enjoyed that, give this a go.
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10/10
Best Lithuanian Film Ever Made
85122227 April 2023
Greetings from Lithuania.

I'm not a biggest fan of movies made in Lithuania - in my opinion, we can't made good films. Yet there are few exceptions, and then there is "Piktuju Karta" (2021). This is simply the best film made in this country in probably - ever.

Clearly inspired by "Silence of The Lambs", Se7en" and some other exceptional movies made in Hollywood and Sweden, "Piktuju Karta" tells a story of two generations meeting in this day and age - and its the worst outcome that people can do. I won't spoil anything, but brilliant film maker Emilis Velyvis did a terrific job - at running time 1 h 50 min i was glued to my screen in every minute with no boring second. The film was very violent in some scenes, yet never to gory. Acting was briliant as well cinematography, editing and music. Script was top notch.

Overall, I was absolutely blown away by "Piktuju Karta". This is the best Lithuanian thriller i have ever seen and just might be the best film ever made. Great film in every possible way.
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