02/08/2023 - Jonáš Karásek’s action comedy led by a wheelchair-bound janitor with anger issues became the fan favourite, dominating the first half of the 2023 box-office

Invalid by Jonáš Karásek (© Cinemart)

Comebacks breathed new life into Slovak theatres in 2022, fending off the post-pandemic blues (read the news). Yet 2023 has birthed a fresh champion. The first half of this year witnessed an attendance of 2,322,814 at local theatres, rivalling the combined footfall of 2020 (read the news) and 2021 (read the news), translating to a hearty 10.71% boost compared to the corresponding period last year, as stated by the Union of Film Distributors of Slovakia. Across the nation, a staggering 95,426 screenings amassed a gross revenue of €16,242,997, marking a surge of 20.17%.

The top 5 does not deviate much from local trends confirmed over the last several years, with the upper echelons populated primarily by US imports and blockbuster behemoths such as Avatar: The Way of Water. James Cameron's anticipated return to Pandora drew in an additional 186,060 theatre-goers (grossing €1,483,918) in 2023, on the heels of the impressive 220,783 admissions in 2022 (grossing €1,675,427). The result? A jump to the third spot in the top 5 of 2023. However, the roguish, sword-wielding CGI tomcat Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, whose local premiere was squeezed into the calendar year's closing days on December 21, 2022, couldn't fully flex its box office muscles until 2023. Consequently, the Shrek spin-off swooshed into the number two position this year, charming 187,569 visitors (grossing €1,226,146). As ever, animated children's films remain a safe bet for the Slovak box office. Rounding out the box office league, the third cosmic escapade of Guardians of the Galaxy netted the fifth position with 126,512 admissions (grossing €962,826). Additionally, the less typical entrants, the Italian plumber brothers in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, jumped into the hearts of local audiences, securing the fourth spot with a solid 136,446 admissions.

However, there can only be one reigning champion, and this time the mid-year title has been seized by the homegrown production, Invalid, directed by Jonáš Karásek. This retro action comedy features a grumpy museum janitor plagued with anger management issues who ends up wheelchair-bound, forming an unlikely alliance with a kind-hearted Roma as they embark on a mission for vengeance. The film’s blend of slightly non-PC humour resonated with 189,615 theatre-goers, grossing a noteworthy €1,401,330. Karásek, whose last full-length endeavour was the reenactment of a notorious Slovakian riot in Amnesty [+see also:
trailer
film profile], has seemingly crafted the crowd-pleaser of the moment as free-wheeling comedy soars in demand.

As of now, local films hold a box office market share of 11.74%, translating to a nearly identical 11.69% share of gross revenue. Trailing Invalid, the unexpected second-place domestic contender is a queer period drama, The Chambermaid [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Mariana Čengel Solčanská an…
film profile], with 32,575 admissions, followed by Michal Kollár's retro-nostalgic comedy Villa Lucia, captivating 15,388 cinemagoers. While romantic comedies – often reliable money-makers – have been conspicuously absent from the top spots, Samuel Spišák's summery comedy, You are the Bad Luck, Love, launched on June 15, has enticed 11,420 admissions (grossing €74,791 against an €850,000 budget).

The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike has led to a delay in US releases, opening a window of opportunity for imminent domestic titles. While the Barbenheimer craze continues to sweep Slovak cinemas, and Invalid maintains its triumphant run (edging ever closer to the 200,000 admissions and €1.5 million benchmarks), the forthcoming line-up includes an obligatory romantic comedy, Branislav Mišík's Never Say Never, which is ready to drop in early August. With the likes of Barbie and Oppenheimer [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] still dominating, it might not claim the top spot. There is also Michal Kunes Kováč's retro tragicomedy I Will Miss You, and Continental Film's sporting documentary portrait, Martin Škrtel #37, directed by Petr Větrovský, which has mastered the art of engaging local audiences. December anticipates yet another romantic comedy, for which the local audience seems to have an insatiable thirst: actor Tomáš Dianiška's directorial debut, Becoming Father Against Will.

The autumn season, however, promises a new champion. Genre-hopping workaholic director Peter Bebjak makes his cinematic return with a follow up to his earlier mystery thriller The Rift [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The Storm, another mystery thriller, is based on Jozef Karika's novel of the same name, the writer who also authored the source material for The Rift. The narrative centres around “halny”, a foehn wind in southern Poland infamous for driving people to madness — a meteorological and social phenomenon previously explored in Michał Bielawski's film The Wind. A Documentary Thriller [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michał Bielawski
film profile]. Meanwhile, Jonáš Karásek, the director behind the success of Invalid, moves into post-production with his latest film, about a global pandemic. Slated for an autumn release, this new work could potentially offer stiff competition to Bebjak’s comeback.