Tomasz Giemza in Polish drama The Hater is awful. From the way he presents himself, he seems mild mannered, if a bit overeager, but his job as a social media troll proves his envy, pride, and resentment towards the rich, even when they’ve helped him out. However, his terrible personality makes for a rather chilling drama. It’s this lack of moral fiber that makes him excel at his job, which, in the darker online spaces filmmaker Jan Komasa had previously explored in Suicide Room, becomes deadly without any restraint. While his instant viral reach is a bit ludicrous, The Hater nonetheless is an engaging thriller about trolls like Tomasz.
Synopsis
A duplicitous young man finds success in the dark world of social media smear tactics — but his virtual vitriol soon has violent real-life consequences.
Storyline
After getting expelled from law school, Tomasz Giemza takes a job at a public relations company, where he discovers his talents in spreading fake news and online hatred. As such, he begins to use his skills to harass the progressive, upper-class Krasucki family, the family that used to fund his tuition.
TLDR
What a terrible, terrible person.
What stands out
Maciej Musiałowski is perfectly cast.
