Adam Woronowicz’s humorous star shines brighter when he plays Jerzy Żurek, a mad, mad, mad eccentric and conspiracy theorist, who abducts his unfortunate nephew. 

Wujek Foliarz is out on Polish VOD, and it’s a title worth giving a go, although, even if it’s gonna sound like a huge cliche, it’s not for everyone. It’s based on a literary form called “pasta,” which, in Poland, is a type of refreshing storytelling, relying on black humour, crossing any types of borders and making fun out of everything (and everyone). This story was written by Malcolm XD. Some people call it a little bit “offensive,” so you need nerves of steel and a huge distance to get its flow right.  

In Michał Tylka’s latest comedy, we follow a miserable Kuba (Mikołaj Kubacki), who participates in a mandatory addiction treatment. It’s a repercussion of everything that took place in Fanatyk (2017), to which Wujek Foliarz is, apparently, a canonical sequel. Unfortunately, when his uncle reappears in his life, his stoic plans come to an end. What ensues is an escapade full of eccentrics, madness, “Tin Foil Hatters,” hypocrisy and many more. Screenwriters play a very dangerous game: it’s a film mostly for people, who have read Malcolm’s infamous pasta. But what about the others?

It’s a new type of comedy, one based on a so-called “self-aware kitsch,” which almost pours itself out of the screen. The ancient (and nearly forgotten) times of the old-school comedy, which was one of the biggest highlights of the PRL, seem to be finally over. Now, young filmmakers and actors are more invested in the warm comedy, full of abstract jokes and remarkable, yet cringy dialogues. 

Regardless, Wujek Foliarz touches presumably the most important subject in 2025, which is the inability to communicate between the generations and different individuals in Poland overall. Even if awkward at times, maybe this is the only way to put parents and their children in front of the cinema room together: by adapting a modern material with the use of a well-known cast. It’s better than nothing, right?

Photo: Mówi Serwis

3/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz