Working Class Goes to Hell

Directed by Mladen Djordjevic, Working Class Goes to Hell follows the residents of a small Balkan town as they attempt to fight bureaucratic forces by dabbling in the dark arts. Filmmaker Djordjevic, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a languidly paced endeavor that does, for the most part, boast the feel and tone of a kitchen-sink drama, as the picture, which runs a palpably overlong 127 minutes (!), boasts an opening hour that’s focused primarily on the low-key exploits of the movie’s many characters – with the watchable vibe perpetuated by several good performances and a solid, palpable sense of atmosphere (ie that small town is incredibly well-defined). It’s equally clear, however, that Djordjevic’s extraordinarily languid sensibilities ensure that one’s interest begins to wane around the halfway mark (ie let’s get on with it, already), with the inclusion of a few striking sequences, including several decidedly ominous happenings (eg weird, ritualistic sex, etc), buoying the viewer’s attention in the buildup to the relatively satisfying final stretch – which does, in the end, cement Working Class Goes to Hell’s place as a decent-enough piece of work that feels like it could (and should) be better.

**1/2 out of ****