My Review Of "A Young Man With High Potential"

Linus de Paoli's "A Young Man with High Potential" is a unsettling psychological thriller. The film stars Adam Ild Rohweder, Pit Bukowski, Paulina Galazka and Amanda Plummer. It is a chilling chamber piece offering a window into character degradation and lives lost. 

Piet is a brilliant grad student but also painfully shy and socially inept. His lonely and sexually frustrated existence changes when he is forced to partner on a school project with the pretty and outgoing Klara. As they spend time together, Piet misinterprets her friendly personality and awkwardly professes his love to her. When Klara rejects his advance, Piet retreats into himself, becoming more obsessed with his “love” until one night when he drugs Klara and attempts to have sex with the unconscious woman, but when she begins to fight him off, he reacts in a violent way. What follows is a very long and horrifying aftermath that sends the man down a dark and despicable path. A disquieting tale reminiscent of the works of Lars von Trier and Michael Haneke. 

The story is a slow burn, straight forward psychological drama that, much like the title character, spirals into darkness and horror. The thriller elements are subtle at first and the build up never really climaxes beyond the initial pace. But you know something bad is going to happen, you feel it in the small, nuanced mannerisms of Rowheder's character. There is a foreboding atmosphere that lingers through nearly every scene.

The casting choices here are brilliant choices. Especially Adam Ild Rohweder as Piet. He seems a little too comfortable and at ease in this character. A chilling, somewhat antisocial, seemingly harmless guy with a dark shadow nesting in his mind. It is a great performance. The rest of the acting feels just as natural. These are developed personas that breathe organically. 

The horror comes. It takes a moment to manifest, but it hits hard. It isn't sensationalized, or glorified violence. There is no real embrace of exploitation. Everything is done carefully and almost authentically. More to the point of showing a bit more realism. That said, you can almost sense that this guy could have gone completely torture porn in his deprevity had it not been for the internal conflict taking place. 

Overall "A Young Man With High Potential" is a wonderfully done, chilling psychological drama. The horror only exists pleonastically so don't think this is exploitation cinema. It is more reserved than one expects, but it is still a fully conceptualized downward spiral into a horrific event. The film is shot nicely and the practical effects and dark atmosphere, combined with a strong, timeless story make this movie worth watching. (4/5)