The Plagues of Breslau (2018) User Reviews

It's a good thriller.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 24 April 2020]

I can't think of many Polish films, but perhaps I need to dig a little deeper, I enjoyed this one, a good thriller, nicely made, with some pretty harrowing scenes. There was a degree of originality about it, it's good.

I would recommend watching it in its original form with subtitles, as the dubbed version that I watched felt so odd, the voices didn't seem to fit the characters.

It's solid, 7/10.

Decent suspense movie

[stevenroberts-53999 · 7/10 · 23 April 2020]

Acting was good by lady cop. The English dubbing was some of the best ever for a foreign film. Dialogue was very believable and not clunky. Kept me interested to the end. I happen to love the bleak atmosphere and moody music in Eastern European films.

Good thriller

[MikeWindgren · 6/10 · 22 April 2020]

This is a solid thriller movie. Some disturbing scenes, and a very good storyline.

I liked it, it keeps you interested for sure.

Grim & Moody

[Dragonborn64 · 7/10 · 1 May 2020]

Starts out as a buddy thriller - 2 mismatched oddballs teamed to fund a killer then veers - quite unbelievably- into something else. The all business cop with the haunted eyes is familiar and the actress brings real authenticity there. FemAle rage in general plays a major. certainly a worthy watch with a couple decent twists.

Quirky characters

[Pairic · 6/10 · 26 April 2020]

The Plagues of Breslau: Set in Wroclaw (Breslau) Poland. A serial Killer is imitating the methods used to execute criminals in 18th Century Breslau. Sewn inside cowhides which shrink in the sun, torn apart by horses. They have their crimes branded in their bodies. Helena is a troubled DI who must solve these crimes aided by oddballs like her sergeant who loves to take selfies and a tough profiler with a chip on her shoulder. There's also a publicity seeking alcoholic prosecutor and a ruthless television reporter. Perhaps too many quirky characters though the film has elements of satire as the killer is intent on uncovering corruption in public life. Directed and written by Patryk Vega. 6/10. On netflix.

Grim and dirty

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 19 May 2020]

Now if you like thrillers to be quite down and dirty, this may be your thing. This does qualify as quite the moody movie, with characters that are hard to sympathize for. Yes even the main character is quite disturbed to say the least, which is quite obvious.

A decent little thriller that will be received in different shades and expectations by those watching it. Depends on which end you fall. Well shot and edited and acted for sure

Similar to Se7en.

[justrobby1 · 6/10 · 26 April 2020]

Obviously it's not better than Seven, but it was a pretty good try. I enjoyed it very much with the suspense and great twist towards the end. It's a thriller that keeps you entertained through most of the film. Although the characters were not all written out properly or totally likable it didn't matter because the story was what kept you watching. If you like Seven, you will like this Polish thriller. Just don't expect it to be better.

So cheesy..

[hasancanergul · 4/10 · 26 April 2020]

All the poor and "tryin' to be Hollywood style" acting besides; why do people run away from a horse and a rolling barrel in the middle of the street instead of just stepping aside ?? Like they are escaping from an alien invasion or a serial killer with guns ??

Glad I watched

[uncsbuddy91 · 7/10 · 13 June 2020]

I enjoy a good thriller, especially with a unique description like this one had. I immediately enjoyed the stoic bitterness of the lead, she fascinated me and I knew she commanded respect without being a throughly hateful person. It brought a gruesome history to life with a very unexpected ending. I'm so glad Netflix recommended it!

Also, I watched in original audio with subtitles. You get used to it, and I find myself more engrossed in the storyline because I have to pay even more attention. There's more authenticity in it than hearing the dubbing.

Whoever said this is better than Fincher's Se7en in their review is out of their mind

[asphyxion_ · 5/10 · 23 April 2020]

This movie is a see-it-once-and-forget popcorn movie flick decent for a weekend midnight viewing. But it's entirely forgettable and has none of the masterwork that went into Finch's FAR SUPERIOR crime thriller. In fact, Plagues of Breslau ripped almost all of its plot elements off from Se7en, including the methodical-killer-working-off-a-bullet-point-list-of-pious-morals-which-inspires-all-of-their-murders. Hell, the movie even ends with a 'shock reveal' head-in-the-box climax that showed 0 ingenuity in writing. It was predictable as hell about 30 minutes in and it was very easily guessed who the killer was (dead giveaway when they show the forensic investigation of the second plague scene with the guy ripped apart by horses).

this movie serves up plenty of gore with mainstream sensibilities, including a rather graphic autopsy scene after the intrudoctory murder. what really makes Breslau different than Se7en, however, is the EXTREME UNLIKEABILITY of the two women who are investigating the crimes. yeah yeah, trauma-and-ptsd-from-the-death-of-a-loved-one-and-unfair-life-circumstances are supposed to explain to us why these two women are the two most unlikeable females on the planet. they're gruff with raspy batman voices and the cliche omniscience that gives them an Adrian Monk-like ability to figure stuff out on the spot. The idea for the plot was interesting but ultimately the execution was just BAD. 5 stars is more than enough for this highly forgettable, cookie cutter gore-thriller.

If you actually want a movie that's similar to Se7en and much better than Plagi Breslau, give the 1999 Korean gore-thriller 'Tell Me Something' a watch instead. Plagi Breslau is an easy skip (but also an easy watch if you have a free 90 mins to spare). 5/10

Great Unpredictable Plot

[jamessrq · 8/10 · 29 April 2020]

I've seen many negative reviews about the dubbing, alleged feminist agenda. Please don't believe these - just give the movie a chance. Personally, I don't like a dubbed foreign movie. I turn on original audio, but watch the English subtitles. I'm used to using subtitles because I'm hard of hearing, but it is not as distracting as you would think. Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. The plot maybe starts out familiar to others, but about half way through becomes unique. The ending was absolutely unexpected. Yes, the movie has strong female lead - but one with issues, and certainly not glorified. It is just a good serial killer drama with great location views. If you are not intimidated by foreign language films, I highly recommend this.

What did you expect?

[radhrh · 7/10 · 1 December 2021]

This is a cheap Eastern European rip off of Se7en, even the opening title sequence is blatant plagiarism. So you get clunky dubbed dialogue, low production values and mediocre acting. What did you expect? Expecting anything more from this is like buying a cheap rip off LV handbag then complaining it isn't as good as a real one. Of course it isn't. But what you do get is quite an interesting plot twist or two which makes it worth watching. There is also a level of realism you won't see in any Hollywood movie, particularly in the post mortem scenes which are very graphic and unflinching.

Implausible in the extreme....

[tony_coles · 3/10 · 16 March 2022]

Hard to know where to start with this one. ........

The lead character stereotyping the antiestablishment rogue cop doesn't hit the mark at all; am not sure what the muscle bound 'partner' was about and can't be bothered to even try to work him or his Lazarus-like role out, the villain whose life has been a truly unbelievable catalogue of wrongdoings meted out to her and family.....etc etc. Rampant horses (and the curious reaction of those in the path of such); great big wheels somehow hoisted to the top floor of a police station then swung unfathomably out of a window, a barrel that rolls in a perfect straight line all contribute to defining this film as totally implausible. I get the artistic license thing but really, this film takes it beyond the limit. One feature that stood out though was the special effects that gave its goriness some degree of credibility. All that said, it did enough to get me through it but then came the ending which, I don't know, did they run out of money or something? Not recommended.

Gory and campy

[sergepesic · 7/10 · 16 May 2022]

It does help to have certain knowledge about the turbulent history of Wroclaw (Breslau) the biggest city in Selesia region. The city used to be part of Hungary, Bohemia, Germany and after the Worl War II become Poland. "The Plagues of Breslau" is an unusual serial killer movie. Rough, raw, gory and campy at the same time. These killings are not just violent perversions of a disturbed mind, but an indictment of a society that drowns in corruption and greed. Today Poland with its right-wing, cloyingly pious government doesn't have much time for the plight of average people. Hence the plagues... Or perhaps these hypocrites are sort of a plague themselves.

The Polish "Seven"

[DonnieBatty · 6/10 · 22 September 2020]

What's most beneficial to the movie is its crazy pacing with a narration that doesn't collect any ballast in subplots. Every minute there are gore, car chases and protagonists with attitude who wallow in nihilism. however, is an old-fashioned finale with a lame twist, which makes the pressing power of the first 80 minutes fizzle out. A good choice for a rainy Saturday, though.

Interesting Serial Killer Movie

[fay_star · 7/10 · 8 October 2020]

This is a great Polish movie with strong female leads. The storyline is good with decent twists and not too predictable. The murder scenes are excellently produced. The English dubbing for english-speaking audiences is really good, flows nicely. Would recommend!

Really surprised by all the negative ratings

[cbauza-48960 · 7/10 · 8 June 2020]

What movie were people watching who have this movie such negative ratings? I agree with many other reviewers here who say it's a solid thriller. I'm really glad I gave this movie a shot. In my opinion, foreign films are best watched in their original language with subtitles because the actors' voices are critical to set the tone and the two female leads deliver. Really enjoyed the plot twist and development, but personally I didn't love the character arc of one of the female leads at the end, but that's an opinion. Reminiscent of Seven, if you enjoyed that film you'll probably enjoy this.

So bad it's depressing

[liderc · 2/10 · 10 June 2020]

The production values seemed decent, the storyline interesting. But I had to switch it off after some time, as the flat, unlikeable characters and the dialogue is just to much to bear when you are sober or reasonably sensible. Everybody behaves and swears like some living trailer park trash clichee, with the female detective taking the clinically depressed punk / emo part. The police work depicted is equally amateurish. I couldn't help but wonder if this was supposed to be a honest depiction of Polish society? Very sad. Even more saddening that somebody wasted money and talent on producing this lurid script.

A Polish 7even

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 25 April 2020]

I appreciated this crime serial killer film, though serial killer is not my stuff, as I told once to Stephane Bourgoin, the very wellknow profiler, whom I met years ago. This said, the scene where the local SWAT enters the killer's apartment and finds her mother, the latest doesn't seem to be that frightened. Hmmm And no one explains why the man in the barrel exactly died, what did he die from....And the ending is rather abrupt. But that's a good film, not for the squeamish though.

My second Polish movie

[Wizard-8 · 3/10 · 25 April 2020]

Some time ago, I watched my first Polish movie, the 1967 "Westerplatte Resists". I enjoyed that movie, so when the modern Polish movie "The Plaugues of Breslau" popped up on Netflix, I was curious to see a sample of what current Polish filmmakers are putting out. Technically, things are okay - it wasn't a high budget exercise, but it never looks really cheap or tacky. Also, gorehounds will be very pleased by the graphic carnage that's sometimes put on display. However, in other areas there should have been a lot more thought put in before filming started. As others here on the IMDb have pointed out, the movie is clearly inspired by the American movie "Seven", even right to the style of opening credits. Being a rip-off doesn't automatically make a movie bad in my books, but bad scripting does. The movie seems to start at chapter two instead of chapter one, resulting in me being confused for a while before everything was set straight. A bigger problem was that some important details and plot points are either vaguely explained or not explained at all. (For example, where did all the other cops go when the empty warehouse was being searched?) The scripting is bad enough, but what makes matters worse is that all the principle characters are quite unlikable, from their actions to how the actors playing them perform. While there is some curiosity value in this movie - you don't get to see a Polish perspective in a movie all that often - the negative definitely outweighs the good in this movie, so it's probably best that you skip it.

Good Thriller... at last!

[ballerinokid · 8/10 · 30 April 2020]

How refreshing to watch a movie full of unpredictable twists (who has written that it's full of cliches must be out of his mind), with a great script, excellent actors and a fast pace! Can't understand why it is so underrated

Good 'fast' thriller

[Stew_29 · 7/10 · 13 February 2023]

The movie starts out a bit weak, the characters are arrogant and comical at first, taking selfies with a corpse or treating people like suspects just because the detective is having a bad day.

Whe the story takes shape they all get to be more serious and professional.

The plot evolves in a fast pace, it wouldn't hurt to make this movie 20 mins longer. Some twists in events are unfolded very early, in my opinion they could've build up a lot more suspense before giving away this major plot point.

Fantastic special effects and a lot of graphic scenes portraied in this movie. I would dare to say it's a bit of a horror thriller and I understand the comparison to the movie 'seven'.

For me a 7/10 and i would recommend this movie to all lovers of a good thriller story.

Amateur production, fails to gain traction

[jwpicton · 5/10 · 11 May 2020]

Ok, so it's an attempt to emulate the dark and jilted cop genre; someone with a past, someone who's seen it all before, for whom tragedy, death and gore are regular features in their lives... like breakfast cereal, or a walk in the park. Unfortunately, they have overplayed both this and the shock value factor massively, and as a result, both the characters and the plot are left completely void of any substance,leaving some scenes reminiscent of a comedy horror. The entire production fails to gain any meaningful traction with its audience. Why did I bother watching it? I didn't.

Gory scenes, worth a watch.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 28 September 2023]

Plagi Breslau (or The Plagues Of Breslau for the English title) is a Polish crime thriller with some pretty gory scenes so maybe not suited for everyone. Personally I don't mind and I actually thought those were the best realistic parts of the movie. There aren't much likable characters in this movie so that was slightly annoying. Malgorzata Kozuchowska and Daria Widawska played the main characters and looked both irritated in life which didn't added quality to the story. Their acting was passable and could have been better. That said I was entertained although the story was sometimes a bit far fetched. The bloody scenes made it worth watching so if you're searching for an explicit crime thriller give it a go.

The Plagues of Breslau

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 22 March 2022]

This Polish serial killer drama is set in the city of Wroclaw; known until 1945 as Breslau. At six o'clock one evening a body is found at a local market; it has been sown into the hide of a cow. This is only the first of a series of brutal killings; each of which takes place at 6pm on consecutive days. Detective Helena Rus is in charge of the case. After her partner is seriously injured she is informed that she will be working with Iwona Bogacka, a profiler from Warsaw. She makes some early observations; most notably that the killings are clearly inspired by punishments meted out in the city centuries before. They will have to work quickly to determine why the specific victims are being targeted if the killer is to be stopped before finishing their plan.

I thought this was a solid thriller that should appeal to those who enjoy films like 'Seven' where a serial killer has a set number of intended victims and novel methods of murder. The deaths are quite gruesome which gives the film a horror element. Prior to the killer's identity being obviously revealed it is far from obvious who it will be. The reveal came earlier than I expected but that didn't spoil the film; the question of who was doing it merely changed to a question of whether or not they could be caught in time and why they were picking certain victims. The cast was pretty solid; especially Malgorzata Kozuchowska and Daria Widawska as Helena and Iwona. The city of Wroclaw provided a picturesque setting; I liked the fact that much of the action took place in sunny daylight... night time and rain are so cliché and I like being able to see what is going on. There are a few weak points; for example members of the public, presumably extras, jumping out of the way of a dangerous situation looked a bit unrealistic; this is a minor quibble though. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the genre looking for something in a novel setting.

These comments are based on watching the film in Polish with English subtitles.