Quiz (2012)

Directed by: Dick Maas | 85 minutes | thriller | Actors: Pierre Bokma, Barry Atsma, Hanna Verboom, Kim van Kooten, Stephan Evenblij, Marck Oostra

Dick Maas, pretty much the creator of the (modern) Dutch horror film (with ‘De Lift’ and, to a certain extent ‘Amsterdamned’), also likes a joke. The latter is not only apparent in his comedy hit ‘Flodder’ or the recent ‘Moordwijven’; his exciting or scary films also often contain comic elements. In ‘Sint’, from 2010, the focus was clearly on horror, but in ‘Quiz’ humor and tension are fairly evenly distributed. Looking at the premise and summary of the film, you would expect this to be a pure thriller, but Dick Maas knows how to put his own unique stamp on the film, and manages to turn it into an absurdist comedy just as well. to make. The film has at least become an interesting mix of elements and can boast of a more than entertaining – and frightening – role by Pierre Bokma.

From the very first scenes – when we see Barry Atsma as a cynical TV game show host (in which a candidate has to answer questions while his wife is completely submerged in a water tank) – it’s clear that ‘Quiz’ shouldn’t be taken too seriously. taken. The presence of Leo’s (Atsma’s) hopping, asthmatic assistant Louise (Hanna Verboom), his nonchalant friend Koos (Stephan Evenblij), the exaggerated ‘Italian’ acting Marck Oostra (as involved restaurant owner Guiseppe), as well as certain choices in directing and camerawork, underline this even further. Very funny, for example, is the way in which Leo’s (first) punch to the jaw of the Bokma character – across a table in the restaurant – is portrayed and provided with sound. Almost like in a cartoon.

Because of the winking, comic sauce that is thrown over the film, you would think that there is little room for effective tension, but miraculously Dick Maas – and, admittedly, helped a lot by a brilliant Bokma – often succeeds. to make “the Man” a genuinely threatening appearance. Despite the deadly serious situation with which he confronts Atsma’s Leo, Bokma remains so (seemingly) polite and calm that at times the atmosphere becomes horrifying as well as dryly comical. Even when Atsma calls him names, grabs and hits him – in one exaggerated fight scene in the toilet even culminating in a hilarious, ridiculously bloody beating-up party – Bokma remains frustratingly understanding and persistent. It is an unstoppable force that keeps coming back. In the long run, the laughing muscles are aimed too often, so that the feeling of threat really decreases, but it is surprising how long both tension and humor continue to work side by side. And just when it seems that the film has shown its true nature(s), Bokma manages to surprise the viewer by arousing some sympathy and pathos for his character.

Quiz is the type of high concept movie that people enjoy in America – “cynical quizmaster is forced to play a game himself: to the death!” – and it would therefore not be unlikely if an English-language remake of Maas’s film could be seen soon. Not that the film is very innovative – for example in its choice for the (types of) victim and perpetrator – but that’s not so bad. It does not seem to have been the intention of Maas that the viewer would do a lot of puzzling during the film and be overwhelmed by an intelligent twist at the end. Quite the contrary. The form seems more important than the story itself and the film should just provide entertainment without being too heavy or pretentious. And yes, several (supporting) actors play very lousy and yes, the balance sometimes goes a bit too far towards absurdism or unbelievability (at the expense of tension or drama), but it cannot sink the film. concept, a very memorable role by Pierre Bokma, and is absolutely entertaining.