Reka: A quiet walk through the Czech countryside

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on if you can sit still. If you are the type who gets itchy after ten minutes of a movie without a plot twist, skip it. But if you like films that just kind of breathe, you’ll like this. It is a simple, lovely thing. 🌿

It’s a story about two teenagers in the Czech countryside. They fall in love. That is pretty much it. There are no grand betrayals or giant explosions, just a lot of shots of trees and flowing water.

The cinematography has this weird, hazy quality to it, like the lens was smeared with a bit of butter. It works, though. It makes everything feel like a memory you aren't quite sure you actually had.

Moments that stuck

• The way the light hits the river is better than most modern CGI.
• The silence in the scenes between the two leads is painful in a good way.
• There is a background character who keeps staring at the camera for a second too long in the village market scene. It’s hilarious.

You can tell the director really loved the setting. Sometimes the movie stops moving forward just to watch a bird or a breeze moving through the wheat fields. It feels less like a directed film and more like a captured mood.

It’s not perfect. The pacing is a bit like an old tractor—it starts slow and stays slow. I found myself checking my watch, but then something small happened, like a glance or a stumble, and I was back in it. It’s not as punchy as Sporting Blood, that’s for sure.

There’s a scene near the middle where they sit by the water for what feels like five whole minutes without saying a word. In most movies, that would be a death sentence. Here? It felt earned.

If you liked the quiet, observational vibe of The River of Doubt, you will probably find something to love here. Just don't go in expecting a thriller. It’s just kids. Being kids. In a very pretty place. 🛶

Sometimes you just want a movie that doesn't ask anything of you. This is that movie. Just don't watch it while you're tired, or you'll be asleep before the second act.