A Young Man with High Potential 2018 review on Mother of Movies

The plot for A Young Man with High Potential involves a brilliant guy. This is a film for those who like feel-bad movies. This can be counted as one of those. Piet’s favorite thing to do is nerd out with some computer science trying the best ways to cloak his online footprint. In his downtime, he likes to get a Camgirl to eat strawberries and hit the sleep medication from time to time. Quite the conflict in life for poor Piet it would seem. He also tends agoraphobia and this explains why he hasn’t met any or many real girls and why he’s still a virgin. But then one day Klara, a vivacious and pretty woman who’s been following his work knocks on his door.

Husband & Wife Feel Bad Filmmakers

The director for this small independent production is Linus de Paoli and was co-written with himself and his wife. Given the slimy climax in the film, I wondered what their conversations are like at dinner to come up with such a narrative. This film is the second feature-length movie after 2011’s Dr. Ketel. I got sent this film as a screener in recent months, one of the reasons I love writing about movies. If you want to see “A Young Man With High Potential”, it’s readily available on Amazon Prime and a few other VOD platforms.

Feel Bad Movies for Those That Like That Kind of Thing

Piet is a computer whiz. He's also a virgin. A Young Man with High Potential is not a feel good movie
Piet is a computer whiz. He’s also a virgin. A Young Man with High Potential is not a feel-good movie

A Young Man With High Potential Full Movie Trailer

YouTube video
A feel bad movie from Artsploitation Films, Hahn Film AG and Schattenkante.
From Artsploitation Films, Hahn Film AG and Schattenkante. For those that enjoy feel-bad movies.

Whatever you think of Piet in the first half of the film, quickly changes after his introduction to Klara. He becomes likable and interesting, and you can see he’s thinking his whole life has turned around. An erroneous burden on someone who has found a kindred spirit of interests and discovered a meeting of the minds with someone so available. The tonal elements and shifts within the film’s structure make this story particularly memorable. The balance teeters back and forth because, from an outsider’s perspective looking in, it’s easy to gauge exactly what’s happening. Performances between Paulina Galazka and Adam Ild Rohweder as Klara and Piet respectively are on point.

Unpleasant Content In A Young Man With High Potential

Moreover, this is not a film for the everyday casual movie watcher. The themes within the film are shocking and sexually charged. Those without the stomach for scenes with assaults of this nature should steer well clear, even though they are only momentary compared to how Piet deals with the consequences of his error. I somehow made it through this one despite my love of horror, the ensuing carnage is quite the thing.

Additionally, there are quite a few underlying commentaries to be found within the structure of the film and I guess it’s up to the viewer how they want to look at it. Whether to see it as an ‘old news story’ reference; it’s how people talk about smart youngsters who make grievous spur-of-the-moment decisions that end with their lives in tatters. Or perhaps you simply view it as a story of misogyny wrapped up in the repercussions of living your life online.

To clarify, it’s not a feel-good movie, however, it is well-made, well-filmed, and well-structured. Those that love the dark side of humanity will enjoy this. There is plenty here to take away from it.

I give A Young Man with High Potential

3 socially inept virgins out of 5

Mother of Movies score