Maryjka: A Strange, Dusty Window into the Carpathians

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like they were dug up from a basement, Maryjka is your kind of thing. It’s for the folks who enjoy slow, regional atmosphere over tight scripts. If you need a movie to move fast or explain every single motivation, you will absolutely hate this.

There is this one scene near the river where the background extras look like they’re trying not to laugh, and honestly, it’s the best part. It grounds the whole thing in a way that feels real, like you’re watching a village hang out instead of actors hitting their marks.

The Carpathian scenery is the real star here. Sometimes the camera just sits there for an extra ten seconds, capturing the wind in the trees or the way the light hits the valley. It’s not flashy, but it’s haunting in a quiet, slightly boring way.

It’s hard not to compare the mood here to something like Zwei Menschen, though this feels a bit more tied to its specific soil. It lacks the polish you'd expect from a studio film, but that's precisely why it works. It feels like a relic.

Bits and pieces

• The costumes are so detailed they almost look heavy.
• Ina Benita has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think she knows exactly how weird the scene is.
• The pacing is... well, it’s not pacing. It’s just living.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written for a stage play, not for human beings to actually say out loud.

I found myself drifting off around the middle. Then, someone started singing in a dialect I didn’t quite catch, and I was pulled back in. It’s that kind of movie. It doesn't ask for your full attention; it just hangs out in the room with you.

If you’ve seen The Sentimental Lady, you might find some weird, echoes here. They both have that specific, old-fashioned sincerity that modern movies are just too cynical to pull off anymore.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s just a trip to a place that doesn't exist on any map anymore. Sometimes, that’s plenty. 🏔️