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13 Tzameti

2005 1h 33m Mystery & Thriller List
83% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Sebastien (George Babluani) is a Georgian emigrant in France who takes a roofing job to earn some money. After his employer dies before paying him, he pilfers a train ticket and a letter which he thinks may lead him to some quick cash. Instead, Sebastien becomes the latest player of a deadly game in which gamblers bet on the outcomes of Russian roulette matches.
13 Tzameti

What to Know

Critics Consensus

This starkly minimalist nail-biter of a thriller relentlessly builds up the tension and keeps the audience guessing.

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Critics Reviews

View All (66) Critics Reviews
Peter Howell Toronto Star Easier to admire than it is to sit through, the French film 13 (Tzameti) is an exercise in stylish depravity that may one day be viewed as the debut of a great filmmaker. Rated: 2.5/4 Jan 19, 2007 Full Review Liam Lacey Globe and Mail A tightly screwed shocker, a suspense tour de force that proceeds through a harrowing chain of events with alarming confidence. Rated: 3/4 Jan 19, 2007 Full Review Terry Lawson Detroit Free Press It may be smarter than Saw II or Saw III, but it's just selling a classier brand of sadistic voyeurism. Rated: 2/4 Nov 24, 2006 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Meant more as perverse gimmicky entertainment than in telling anything meaningful about the human condition. Rated: C Jan 14, 2009 Full Review Ryan Cracknell Calgary Movies 13 Tzameti does suffer from a weak and even lazy conclusion, but that doesn't stop 90 minutes that come before it. This truly is deserving of being unforgettable. Oct 13, 2007 Full Review Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone TheMovieChicks.com I knew nothing before I saw this film, except I heard it was intense (it is) and a little violent (also true). It's also well made, disturbing, and rather hard to forget. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 30, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O Nerve shredding thriller, nicely set up, nicely executed and nicely closed off. Was a very decent low budget French picture well worth 90 minutes of your time but how this is only rated a 15 is beyond me. It's grim. Bought on DVD for £1 from charity shop - bargain. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/31/23 Full Review dave s Skip the tawdry, star-studded Hollywood remake (13) and check out the original French version of 13 Tzameti. Directed by Gela Babluani, it tells the story a young laborer who stumbles across an opportunity to make a lucrative payday, unaware of the specific details but willing to take the chance in order to alleviate his financial woes. What starts as on opportunity to lay hands on a handsome windfall soon becomes an unimaginable nightmare. The film, a cautionary tale regarding the disparity between the classes, among other things, is shot in vivid black and white and directed with great restraint, especially in light of the subject matter. 13 Tzameti is a gripping film from start to finish, well worth the time invested. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Liam D A pretty disturbing picture This Thriller is a one watch movie because it's shocking for me Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/21 Full Review Audience Member Heart stopping tension. Scenes inside the dungeon where the roulette is played is macabre. Gripping till the end. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Shot in wide-screen B&W, this award-winning debut from Georgian director Gela Babluani has all the strengths and weaknesses you might expect. The performances - not least from younger brother Georges in the lead - are exemplary, the storyline fascinating. But it lacks catharsis and seems pointless, almost as if the director is simply demonstrating technique. The music is also very intrusive. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Strong story, intelligent story, and apparently somehow based on truth. I had seen bits of this in other war films and did not believe people would agree to do this, but the extras had one player explaining it. Definitely nail biter although I suspected the hero would survive. Definitely a film noir not for the faint hearted. French film in black and white with english subtitles. Thumbs up for the film and down for the players and gamblers. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
13 Tzameti

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Sebastien (George Babluani) is a Georgian emigrant in France who takes a roofing job to earn some money. After his employer dies before paying him, he pilfers a train ticket and a letter which he thinks may lead him to some quick cash. Instead, Sebastien becomes the latest player of a deadly game in which gamblers bet on the outcomes of Russian roulette matches.
Director
Gela Babluani
Producer
Gela Babluani, Jean-Baptiste Legrand, Fanny Saadi
Screenwriter
Gela Babluani
Production Co
Quasar Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Canadian French
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 28, 2006
Release Date (DVD)
Feb 13, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$121.4K
Runtime
1h 33m