Paweł Maślona’s directorial debut interweaves multiple storylines in which perfectly ordinary people get sucked into the whirlwind of out-of-the-ordinary, life-changing events. An attractive crime novel author runs into an ex whilst on a date. A married couple coming home from vacation switch seats on a plane and end up sitting in the worst place possible. A teenager smokes pot for the first time and gets high as a kite. A girl runs the risk of her girlfriends finding out she’s an online porn star. And finally a bride gives birth at her own wedding reception with the help of a dog psychologist, while a waiter working at the same party is trying to save the planet. Well, a planet. A virtual one. Each of these characters will experience the titular panic attack and reach a point of no return. The film’s screenplay, with its richly detailed scenario, is impressive. Granted, Maślona has had some previous experience—he did write script for the excellent Demon with Marcin Wrona a few years ago. But that’s far from the only strong point of the somewhat absurdist, bitter comedy that is Panic Attack. It also dazzles with its brilliantly rendered characters, sometimes showcasing an entirely new side of actors who we associate with specific roles—in particular Artur Żmijewski.