Ugandan Avenger Class B

On Saturday at 8 p.m., the "Pionier" cinema in Szczecin will show "Bad Black," a self-aware amateurish story about Rambo from the Ugandan sandbox.

"Bad Black" is billed as an action movie crafted from plastic guns, a lot of passion, and… a complete lack of budget. This film is an absolute hit from the cult studio Wakaliwood, based in Kampala's Wakaliga district, where cinema is created out of a love of action and pure adrenaline.

The story begins like a classic revenge flick – an orphan ends up on the streets, grows up in a world of violence, and ultimately becomes a ruthless but righteous warrior named Bad Black. Simultaneously, we meet a white American doctor who arrives in Uganda and, after a series of utterly improbable events… is trained as a commando by a young boy. Meanwhile, someone shouts "WAKALIWOOD!", someone explodes, and someone somersaults through a burning dumpster. And all of this is played with complete commitment – yet with such detachment and glee that it's hard not to laugh.

What sets "Bad Black" apart from other B-movies is its authentic energy and unique format. The entire film is adorned with commentary from the so-called Video Joker – a local voice-over artist who explains, jokes, and shouts things like "ACTION IS COMING!" or "SUPER COMMANDO!" This isn't a joke – it's a characteristic element of Ugandan film screenings, where the screening resembles a communal event with live commentary. It's this voice that becomes the heart of the film and makes it so special.

Shot by Isaac Nabwana (IGG), a self-taught filmmaker who built his production company from scrap computer parts and learned editing on an old laptop, the film is a testament to pure creativity and unstoppable energy. There's no Hollywood CGI here—just homemade special effects and fight scenes where kids play adults, and a screwdriver becomes a weapon of mass destruction.

Don't be fooled by the high IMDb ratings—that's not a result of the film's quality, but rather the audience's pure love of its charming amateurism. "Bad Black" doesn't even pretend to be good. It simply knows it's best at being worst—and it does it with such audacity, authenticity, and joy that it's impossible not to root for every shot. This film isn't just entertaining—it reminds us that cinema can be made anywhere, by anyone, and from nowhere.

"Bad Black" is being shown as part of the "Best of the Worst" series, featuring a diverse range of B-movies – from old American sci-fi films with aliens and flying saucers hanging on strings, to blockbuster '80s action flicks with flawless heroes in nylon tracksuits, to horror films with rubber monsters.

Low budgets, absurd dialogue, poor acting, illogical plots, and the filmmakers' commitment and passion are just some of the common characteristics of the worst productions in the history of world cinema, presented at the festival. The "Best of the Worst" films have been rekindling audiences' love of B-movies since 2015. Several hundred screenings and events have taken place so far as part of the festival. The series was conceived and programmed by Monika Stolat, and organized by Nowa Aleksandria.

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