How I Fell in Love with a Gangster

How I Fell in Love with a Gangster is a Polish crime drama about Nikodem "Nikos" Skotarczak, a man who becomes one of the most notorious criminals in the country's history. A mysterious woman tells the story of his rise and his fall, following the path that turned him into a figure of both fear and fascination. The film was inspired by real events, and it blends action and drama as it moves through the world he built around himself. It runs just over three hours.

Maciej Kawulski directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Krzysztof Gureczny. It was his first feature behind the camera, arriving before Kleks Academy, Kleks Academy 2 and Wild. Tomasz Włosok plays the adult Nikos, with Aleks Kurdzielewicz as the younger Nikos. The cast also includes Antoni Królikowski, Agnieszka Grochowska, Magdalena Lamparska and Krystyna Janda, with 34 credited performers in all. Maciej Kawulski and Tomasz Wardyn produced it for Open Mind Production.

Released in January 2022, the film has a 6.1 rating on IMDb from roughly 3,200 votes and a 6.6 rating on TMDB from around 205 votes. Those figures point to a moderate response, with audience scores sitting somewhat above average but well short of enthusiastic.