Directed by: Piotr Domalewski
Starring: Tomasz Wajda, Bruno Błach-Baar, Mikołaj Juszczyk, Filip Juszczyk, Tomasz Schuchardt,
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sometimes appearances can be deceiving, even on Polish film posters. At first glance, the promotional artwork for Ministranci (The Altar Boys), with its four young figures hidden beneath sky‑blue balaclavas, evokes a gritty story about a youth sect reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan, a robbery in motion, or a delinquent gang preparing for its first armed heist. None of this, however, reflects the film’s true identity. Despite their eccentric disguise, the protagonists of Piotr Domalewski’s latest feature are exactly what the title announces: altar boys.
Domalewski knows this world intimately. He himself served as an altar boy for many years during the communist era in Łomża, his hometown in northeastern Poland. It is little wonder, then, that The Altar Boys once again features Tomasz Schuchardt, a recurring presence in Domalewski’s work. Here he plays a retreat preacher tinged with cynicism and a touch of venality, and calling him Poland’s actor of the moment feels like an understatement.
Yet the true heartbeat of the film, which won the Golden Lion at the most recent Gdynia Film Festival, lies with its four altar boys. Among them, Tobiasz Wajda (Filip) stands out. He is the grandson of art director Leszek Wajda, brother of legendary filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, and he brings a sharply defined presence to the role. The three debuting young actors beside him also deliver remarkably assured performances. Domalewski allowed the quartet considerable freedom on set, and that confidence is palpable. The Christian, justice‑themed rap they record on a rooftop while masked feels unmistakably their own invention.
Within the plot, Filip quickly emerges as the leader of the group. The boys decide to steal the parish’s collection money and plant a hidden camera in the confessional to observe the faithful. Guided by a sense of social justice that is far from guaranteed in today’s Church, these self‑styled Robin Hoods begin by redistributing the money to community members in need before moving on to “punishing” local sinners.
Domalewski’s film remains sharp in its critique while retaining an unmistakable elegance. Viewers expecting yet another Polish drama centred on clerical sexual abuse—following Małgorzata Szumowska’s In the Name of (2013) or Wojciech Smarzowski’s Clergy (2018)—are in for a surprise. The Altar Boys, much like Corpus Christi (2019), shifts the focus to the Church’s chronic struggle to connect with younger generations. At the same time, it exposes the institution’s blind spots and entrenched habits in a country that remains deeply Catholic, at least in its ritual life
Film Reviewed by Giuseppe Sedia
Published by Kino Mania on January 23, 2026