Farben des Bösen: Rot

Netflix presents the movie 'The Colors of Evil: Red'. Do not confuse it with the 'Three Colors' trilogy by the master Krzysztof Kieslowski. 'Red' is based on the first of the three novels 'Colors of Evil', which are: Red, Black, and White, by the writer Malgorzata Oliwia Sobczak. It is written and directed by Adrian Panek, who previously made 'Wake Up' for Netflix, as well as 'Hounds' outside the catalog. He also co-writes with Lukasz M. Maciejewski, well-known on the platform for 'The King of Warsaw', 'Mother's Day', and 'The Master of Escapes', which brings us our protagonist, Jakub Gierszal. Alongside him is Zofia Jastrzebska, whom we also know from 'Infamy' and 'The Girl and the Cosmonaut'. Now, combining crime and drama with serial killers, the premise goes like this: When the body of a young woman appears on a beach in the Tricity area of Poland, the prosecutor joins the victim's mother in an impetuous search for the truth.

'The Colors of Evil: Red' is a decent, effective, very entertaining movie with a few surprises. Zofia Jastrzebska is fantastic... But when all is said and done, nothing has changed, you feel the same, you forget it. If you watch it, you'll have a good time; if not, you're not missing much. You won't find strong characters, an intelligent plot, anything you haven't seen before, nor brilliant direction, nor notable cinematography, music, or performances. It hardly has any action. However, it is quick, direct, concise, simple, and works as a distraction... But if you're looking for more, try a marvel like 'The Stranger', also on Netflix. Based on true events, it introduces two strangers who meet on a long journey. Apparently, they are two normal people with nothing to hide. But the reality is different, and they will soon discover it in the worst possible way. 'The Stranger' is a yes; 'The Colors of Evil: Red'... Maybe. Let me know if you like it.

Agile film, with an intelligent mix of flash backs and real events. Effective narrative with always maintained interest. Big twists, and just when you think the film is over, a final part appears, like a coda to a Symphony. Intelligent film with excellent actors. These bad reviews are nonsense. The film is not that violent, and the violence that appears is not gratuitous. Surprised by the technical quality of current Polish films. With good production, good actors, good script. In short: a top-notch crime film, with no commonplace and full of surprises. And forget the bad reviews: this is a good thriller.

I have mixed feelings after watching the movie. I had no high expectations, so I wasn't disappointed - overally, a decent crime thriller, but the one, which you probably will forget. There are some original ideas, and a magnetic charater of a main villain, a gangster boss and a sexual deviant, who killed and mutilated a young girl Monika. Or maybe did he not?

A great acting was performed by Monika's mother, Helena, an acknowledged Polish actress Maja Ostaszewska. Her character is a family court judge, with a broken own family life, who tries to seek the truth. Performances of the rest of the cast were good, but rather forgetable. The victim, which we get to know better from flashbacks, a young actress Zofia Jastrzebska, did well in difficult graphic violence and nudity scenes.

Script writer and filmmakers had an interesting general plot, but at times I had an impression, that they lacked an idea how to develop the action. Especially it was visible well before the end of the movie, when the police seem to enjoy an easy success against the main suspect, and the tension breaks. Some will find an interesting plot twist, some - incredible plot holes.

All in all, a decent film to watch. Luckilly, the producers didn't develop it into a mini series, what would have been a waste of time.

It's a nicely-crafted Polish serial killer thriller, similar in tone and premise to any number of relatively recent Scandi-noir procedurals. The pace is deliberate and it's used effectively to develop the characters; a particular victim and her family get lots of screen time but the movie doesn't get bogged down in pathos. There's nothing particularly surprising in the story but it's a well-executed take on a familiar formula with good performances, comprehensible character motivations and some deft flourishes. Overall this is nothing spectacular but it's a solid effort that hits the right notes and concludes in a satisfying way.

I am surprised by the low rating!!

After a night on the town at the seaside, the body of a young woman, Monika, is found dead on a beach, with among other things, her lips cut off. A perfect start especially for fans of crime and rough stories.

Part of the story is told in flashback and the violence is, at times, pretty gruesome, and not for the faint of heart. But for some that may actually be a bonus.

It's about parents who don't know what they are doing, let alone what their children are up to. It's about a possible serial killer obsessed by women. The twists and turns go darker and darker and also more strange, it still worked for me as a portrait of pure evil.

This is not an arthouse film, but a very good crime thriller. The ending left me speechless, totally unexpected.

Don't miss it!