Victoria
By Kat Halstead,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
One-take German crime drama has strong language, violence.
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Victoria
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What's the Story?
In VICTORIA, a young Spanish woman -- Victoria (Laia Costa) -- living in Berlin, meets a man on a night out and joins his friends for a birthday celebration. Thrilled by the group's carefree lifestyle, she agrees to a favor that implements her in a crime that will change her life forever.
Is It Any Good?
Filmed in one shot, this low-budget German crime drama is an unexpected triumph. An intimate character study, yet with an addictive jittery pace and some genuinely thrilling sequences, it's no surprise Victoria swept the board at German festivals on its initial release. Since then it's reached out to mainstream audiences around the world via word-of-mouth. As with other one-take movies, such as the British film Boiling Point, the continuous take adds a sense of immediacy to the drama, pulling the viewer into the group's increasingly lawless shenanigans. Offering intimacy in its close-ups, a sense of danger as it peeks over rooftops, and an off-kilter feeling of freedom as characters run through the streets, the camerawork is of central importance to the impact of the film. The result is that we're with the characters every step of the way, getting pulled in deeper at every moment.
Running alongside the impressive cinematography is a phenomenal central performance from Costa in the titular role. But these levels are maintained by the entire main cast, whose mostly improvised dialogue and subtly shifting relationships create a realism to the film that never slips, even at the plot's most extreme moments. There's no black and white here, just believable characters who make questionable but understandable choices, knocking into motion a sequence of events that accelerates to the intense finale at a perfectly paced tempo belying its 138-minute runtime.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Victoria. How did it make you feel? What did the movie have to say about violence? Did it glorify it?
Talk about the strong language used in the movie. Were you surprised to hear some of the terms used? Did it add anything to the story?
How were drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted? Were they glamorized? Were there realistic consequences? Why is that important?
Talk about what the movie had to say about friendship. Did you feel the other characters were right to support Boxer in the way they did?
The movie was shot in one long take, with the drama unfolding minute by minute. What affect did this have on how you experienced the story?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 9, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: March 8, 2016
- Cast: Laia Costa , Frederick Lau , Franz Rogowski
- Director: Sebastian Schipper
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Adopt Films
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Cars and Trucks , Adventures , Friendship
- Run time: 138 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 22, 2023
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