13 Tzameti (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  Started well with suspense and mystery, then went head first into shock and horror then it kind of went downhill and tried to be all film noir. Was good but bit up its own arse!

• Lady D

  
  Although not graphically violent in terms of blood and gore, this film reminded me of a more serious version of 'Hostel' and perhaps a little of Johnny Depps 'The Brave'. The black and white filming suited the darkness of the piece. It does take a little… More
  Although not graphically violent in terms of blood and gore, this film reminded me of a more serious version of 'Hostel' and perhaps a little of Johnny Depps 'The Brave'. The black and white filming suited the darkness of the piece. It does take a little warming up and reach the main storyline, but once the main body of the story emerges, it transports the relentless fear and adrenalin that the lead character experiences in a realistic fashion. The lack of dialogue at times heightens the suspense and fear. An intriguing watch, unlike any kind of gambling film you've ever seen.

• Luke B

  
  A wonderful idea is not capitalised on, resulting in an interesting but often lazy film. All the talent and necessary ingredients are here for a classic but it's the film's lack of depth that harms it. The main character is never explored. Sure he wants money, but his… More
  A wonderful idea is not capitalised on, resulting in an interesting but often lazy film. All the talent and necessary ingredients are here for a classic but it's the film's lack of depth that harms it. The main character is never explored. Sure he wants money, but his actions in pursuing the unknown are unexplained. Later he just seems to take part, before trying to escape, which leads nowhere. The other characters are left shady and for good reason, it throws us into the underground world. Unfortunately it just doesn't make the film anymore interesting. Too short with absolutely no tension does not bode well for a thriller. Perhaps a Hollywood remake could, dare I say it, improve what was a different and enjoyable film.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Gets straight to the point and gets the job done well. Not the most re-watchable flick out there, but still very much effective. Watch this before the pointless-full-of-dumb-exposition american remake comes out.

• _kelly .

  
  Brilliantly filmed in the b/w mode that is so consistent and effective that it suggests color at times (I often find that the best b/w or greyscale pieces play these optical tricks). I watched this with someone who ached before it began, "Am I gonna hafta read subtitles for this… More
  Brilliantly filmed in the b/w mode that is so consistent and effective that it suggests color at times (I often find that the best b/w or greyscale pieces play these optical tricks). I watched this with someone who ached before it began, "Am I gonna hafta read subtitles for this one?" , but twenty minutes into it, after declaring that the b&w "wasn't annoying" demanded that I not pause the film because he was "really into this now". This viewer, who I'd compare to your average 18-21 American movie watcher, had only one complaint of this movie: "They should have show n like more blood and stuff when the people get killed". So I think just based on that person's experience, I can safely recommend this movie to anyone who likes action/thrillers/noir even if they're the type that can't stand foreign films and would rather be watching "Shoot Em Up". <br/><br/>As for my views on it, I think the main actor performs perfectly. As I said before, the shots are beautiful and the cinematography is sublime. Overall, the acting is great and the story is simply genius. The psychological tension created in this movie overwhelms the bloody visual wallops of the best comparable American films. I haven't seen 13 Game Sayawng and I don't know which derives from the other, but I was plenty satisfied by this film that I'm not interested in seeking out a similar piece which may potentially be inferior.<br/><br/>"So Fucked Up" highlight: when the protagonist doesn't fire during the first round

• Greg S

  
  When his morphine-addicted employer overdoses before paying him for fixing his roof, hard-luck immigrant Sebastien assumes his identity and steals an envelope with a train ticket he believes will lead him to a high-paying job. He is not happy when he reaches the final destination.… More
  When his morphine-addicted employer overdoses before paying him for fixing his roof, hard-luck immigrant Sebastien assumes his identity and steals an envelope with a train ticket he believes will lead him to a high-paying job. He is not happy when he reaches the final destination. The less one knows about the plot going in, the better. Slow to get started and lacks a stinger ending, but the middle is delightful hellish suspense. B&W, with subtitles.

• Bruce B

  
  A Pretty Exciting Foreign Film, Best part is the Russian Roulette Game, where 23 people are entered 1st Round one man vs one man, each given a bullet in his gun, 2nd round 2 bulletts and so on and so on. It was ok.

• Stephen M

  
  A pretty good little French thriller about a down-at-heel roofer who tries to get in on a potentially lucrative underworld racket and ends up playing the Russian roulette version of "15 To 1", except there are only 13 competitors here. Well acted and crisply shot in black… More
  A pretty good little French thriller about a down-at-heel roofer who tries to get in on a potentially lucrative underworld racket and ends up playing the Russian roulette version of "15 To 1", except there are only 13 competitors here. Well acted and crisply shot in black and white.

• Steve K

  
  Not what I thought it would be, but still intriguing and a bit disturbing.

• Christopher M

  
  Remarkable modern film noir. While it comes off as one of those confusing, muddled films at first; the true plot quickly arrives and the movie begins to really shine. The tension and suspense created in this film is spellbinding, and it's lead actors were quite strong. Definitely… More
  Remarkable modern film noir. While it comes off as one of those confusing, muddled films at first; the true plot quickly arrives and the movie begins to really shine. The tension and suspense created in this film is spellbinding, and it's lead actors were quite strong. Definitely worth a look.

• Nicolas K

  
  Could have been a masterpiece if the actors could ooze a bit more emotion. The script is good with a number of surprising twists, but it is the direction that helps tighten the tension and deliver a great thriller.

• Curt C

  
  A film where an innocent individual manages to unknowingly involve himself in a dark underworld from which he cannot escape. Surprisingly, although there is little action, 13 Tzameti manages to tighten the suspense and anticipation like a noose around your neck. The payoff manages… More
  A film where an innocent individual manages to unknowingly involve himself in a dark underworld from which he cannot escape. Surprisingly, although there is little action, 13 Tzameti manages to tighten the suspense and anticipation like a noose around your neck. The payoff manages to take place in a few scenes that couldn't be any more than 5 minutes in total; that being said, I was kept enthralled as the layers of this underground world were peeled back further and further. Also, the motivations of the feature characters are hinted at, but not all revealed by the end of the film. I also found the ending quite poetic. One last thought; shooting this film in black-and-white was overwhelmingly the correct choice. It added immeasurably to the "game" scenes and gritty film-noir feel of the film.

• Daniel P

  
  Very nerve-racking at times; it's a kind of hybrid of Hostel and Fight Club, except that probably will conjure up completely the wrong image. It might have worked better as a short, as it runs out of steam after the first hour. Its low budgetness doesn't detract from the… More
  Very nerve-racking at times; it's a kind of hybrid of Hostel and Fight Club, except that probably will conjure up completely the wrong image. It might have worked better as a short, as it runs out of steam after the first hour. Its low budgetness doesn't detract from the experience, despite a very odd sound mix where sound effects are unnaturally loud and conversations don't alter in volume. This film, shot in black-and-white, is a good start for director Gela Balbuani and he certainly should be someone to watch.

• William G

  
  Moderately intriguing thriller is admirable, yet flawed in its single-mindedness.

• John M

  
  A very impressive debut film by a young french filmmaker. What starts out initially as a seemingly simple tale soon turns into a twisted thriller. The amount of tension this film builds is incredible. You'll be hooked. The black and white filming fits perfectly. It gives the film… More
  A very impressive debut film by a young french filmmaker. What starts out initially as a seemingly simple tale soon turns into a twisted thriller. The amount of tension this film builds is incredible. You'll be hooked. The black and white filming fits perfectly. It gives the film a different edge that I don't think would have been the same had it been filmed in color. The directing and acting are great. The casting is perfect as well, in my opinion. At times, I got the feeling that I'm watching real people and not actors. Great soundtrack which doesn't convolute every scene as silence plays a big role in the movie, building the tension. No clichés or other silliness. This film is highly recommended!

• Stefan P

  
  Innovative story, but before they reveal what's going on (and the story turns interesting), it's really slow. They didn't manage to build up tension and the acting was pretty lousy. The story builds on good premisses but unfortunately they fail to use it to the fullest.… More
  Innovative story, but before they reveal what's going on (and the story turns interesting), it's really slow. They didn't manage to build up tension and the acting was pretty lousy. The story builds on good premisses but unfortunately they fail to use it to the fullest. Entertaining for the moment though.

• Christopher B

  
  Good film about a man who unknowingly agrees to participate in a game that could cost him his life. The story was good, but I found that there wasn't much tension in the games themselves. The way they were filmed was interesting, with a lot of the action happening all at once,… More
  Good film about a man who unknowingly agrees to participate in a game that could cost him his life. The story was good, but I found that there wasn't much tension in the games themselves. The way they were filmed was interesting, with a lot of the action happening all at once, and most of it remaining offscreen, but was not that effective in conveying the drama necessary. Also, the audience should at least suspect that nothing is going to happen to the main character at least until the end, so there's little tension there. Another problem I had was there was very little to any of the characters. Granted there's a lot going on at the beginning, but the audience never really gets a good feel for who any of these people are. And the police story thrown in was completely unnecessary. Geez, with all the bitchin' I've done about the film it's hard to believe I liked it.

• Adam M

  
  I finally watched this French thriller after wanting to check it out for ages and it was worth the wait. A young man is repairing a roof on a house and when the man that lives there randomly dies,the young man finds, and follows,a set of instructions that were meant for the owner.… More
  I finally watched this French thriller after wanting to check it out for ages and it was worth the wait. A young man is repairing a roof on a house and when the man that lives there randomly dies,the young man finds, and follows,a set of instructions that were meant for the owner. This leads him to some sort of cabin in the middle of nowhere where a deadly game is played and people's lives are bet on.This is a compelling, pulsating thriller and the fact it's shot in black and white gives it a timeless feel.And despite the ending seeming random,it's also pretty inevitable.This is destined to be a cult classic.

• Anthony V

  
  Intense and well done. Grabs you by the crouch and doesn't let go. Stays with you for days.

• Kevin "

  
  A good and simple movie, but was hoping for more. This movie is very similar to Intacto, but not based on the idea of luck like Intacto. The movie is about a young man who enters a contest to make a large amount of money to help is struggling family. He over hears about the contest… More
  A good and simple movie, but was hoping for more. This movie is very similar to Intacto, but not based on the idea of luck like Intacto. The movie is about a young man who enters a contest to make a large amount of money to help is struggling family. He over hears about the contest and fills in for the person that was suppose to take the place. While I wish I wouldn't had known ahead of time what the "game" was, but who doesn't read the back of the movie before they rent or buy it? I think it would have made it a little more dramatic, but knowing what it was also made me buy it, so guess it doesn't matter. The game is a form of Russian Roulette, except you point it at the person in front of you. When the light goes on, you pull the trigger. The movie was shot in black and white which made the scenes that much better. What was cool about it was they didn't focus on the gore and make it the star of the movie like most movies would, which was nice. This was a good first film and will keep my eye on Babluani and see what other movies he makes.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings