Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- tense
- gritty
- intense crime night
- dutch cinema exploration
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a compelling, sharply acted Dutch crime drama with strong tension and social-realist impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stan's abandonment and provincial frustration lead him from petty crime into a gang war.
The film contrasts Venlo's stagnant Catholic southern setting with Stan's descent into organized violence.
Stan joins Maikel and Sef despite initially being portrayed as fundamentally decent, becoming entangled in their crimes.
The botched hold-up turns lethal when the nervous trio kills the shopkeeper instead of extorting him.
Films like Godforsaken!, and why
La Haine
shared crime spree narrative, moral collapse, and bleak social realism
Animal Kingdom
shared provincial alienation, criminal escalation, and tense character drama
Mean Streets
shared gang violence, tragic criminal choices, and grounded thriller intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Pieter Kuijpers
- Release Date
- 2003-04-24
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (41)
Cast
- Angela Schijf
- Tygo Gernandt
- Egbert Jan Weeber
- Mads Wittermans
- Selma Copijn
- Tamer Avkapan
- Brader Torun
- Marnie Blok
- Pim Lambeau
- Frits Lambrechts
Common questions
- What is Godforsaken! about?
- A neglected provincial Dutch teenager is pulled from petty crime into a lethal gang war by friends whose loyalty becomes a trap.
- What is Godforsaken! like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Godforsaken! as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Godforsaken! violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Godforsaken! as graphic.
- What did critics think of Godforsaken!?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a compelling, sharply acted Dutch crime drama with strong tension and social-realist impact.
- Which films are like Godforsaken!?
- Films with a similar feel include La Haine, Animal Kingdom, and Mean Streets.
- How long is Godforsaken!?
- Godforsaken! runs 90 minutes.
