Misfit (2017)

Directed by: Erwin van den Eshof | 86 minutes | comedy | Actors: Djamila, Bente Fokkens, Niek Roozen, Jolijn Henneman, Jill Schirnhofer, Fenna Ramos, Donny Roelvink, Défano Holwijn, Chris Tates, Eddy Zoey, Gio Latooy, Sara Ras, Luca Gilliot, Mirja Poelstra, Menno Slot

Teen Julia is doing pretty well. She lives in America in a nice house, has nice friends and is quite popular on social media. With her vlog she attracts thousands of fans, she can sing well and the future is smiling at her. But then her parents come up with the disastrous idea of ​​returning to the Netherlands. What should she do now in that rainy country, where she knows no one? But Julia does not give up and faces her new life at a Dutch secondary school with her head held high. Until she encounters the VIP squad…

‘Misfit’ is a film for and about teenagers. It’s just a shame that it also seems to be made by teenagers. The plot is cliched and never gets funny or even entertaining. You can see every twist in the story coming from afar.

What does the film have to offer the target audience? The leading role is played by the famous Dutch YouTube star Djamila (25 years old at the time of the film’s release), who may even reach the million subscribers. Djamila once started vlogging because she misses speaking Dutch, after moving to Texas. She can sing, but it is clear that this is her first step in acting.

Unfortunately, the director Erwin van den Eshof (known for ‘Popoz’, ‘Zombibi’ and ‘Death End’) also doesn’t exactly get the best out of the other cast members. Nobody seems to feel comfortable on set, dialogues come out uncomfortable and the scenario gives them little to hold on to. The situations are over the top and unbelievable.

Technically there is little to criticize about ‘Misfit’, although the film could have had a bit more of the visually appealing ‘100 % Coco’. Loyal fans of the well-known YouTubers who make their appearance in the film will certainly go see the film, but let them temper their expectations a bit.