Antek policmajster: A chaotic slice of old-school Polish comedy

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for vintage black-and-white comedies where people fall over for no reason and everyone talks with their whole face, you will probably get a kick out of Antek policmajster. If you need your movies to be sharp, fast-paced, or logical, you should definitely skip this one. It is not for the impatient, and it is definitely not for anyone who hates theatrical overacting. 🤷‍♂️

The whole premise is basically one big misunderstanding that spirals way out of control. Antek, played by Adolf Dymsza, is one of those guys who just ends up being the loudest person in the room. He gets mistaken for a police chief, and instead of clearing it up, he just goes with it. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Hoi Polloi, where everyone is just trying to keep the lie going until the inevitable disaster hits.

The vibe is... very loud

Dymsza is clearly the engine here. He has this manic energy that makes you wonder if he had any caffeine at all before the cameras started rolling. Some scenes go on for a minute or two where he is just pacing around and waving his arms, and it’s actually kind of funny in a low-stakes way. Other times, I found myself checking my phone because the dialogue just drags on forever.

The sets look like they were pulled straight from a stage play. There is a specific scene in the station where the door keeps creaking, and I am 90% sure that sound effect was added by someone just rattling a piece of metal near a microphone. It’s charming, I guess? It’s definitely not high art, but it feels human.

Small observations from the couch:

• The mustache game in this movie is truly top-tier.
• There is one bit where they try to arrest the wrong person and the entire crowd just stops moving for five seconds. It’s like they forgot the choreography.
• The lighting is surprisingly flat, which makes the whole thing look like a 1930s postcard that got left in the sun.

I wouldn't compare this to something heavy like The Struggle, obviously. It’s much lighter and frankly a bit sillier. It does share that slightly dusty, old-world feeling though. You can tell everyone involved was trying their best to make a hit for the local crowd, even if the plot holes are big enough to drive a carriage through.

It gets a little exhausting toward the end when the shouting hits a fever pitch. But hey, if you want to see a guy pretend to be a cop for 90 minutes while wearing an oversized uniform, you could do a lot worse. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s mostly harmless. Don't overthink it.