The Commander: The Devil You Know

Nothing is as it seems in this intricate thriller, which at first seems to be an investigation into the murder of a small child, but apparently that happened five years earlier, and facing that fact the mystery and the problems for the police begin. Te main character is the complicated case of Eric Thornton, a gifted pianist but also an occultist with intrerest in skulls and drugs. Commander Blake faces considerable difficulties as apparently there is also a drug squad involved. There are difficult relationships between Eric and his sisters and their mother, who appear not to be related at all, since the sisters are his mother's children from another marriage, while the only one who relly seems to care for Eric is his father, who hasn't seen him for eight months. Then there is the child and her parents, who also were found dead five years ago. Try to make some sense out of that mess. There is of course also a psychiatric ward involved, and the film starts very aptly by showing its ruins after its dismantling. There is nothing wrong with the actors, I agree that too much film attention is given to Eric's inner or subconscious afflictions, but as a mystery it is interesting enough although totally morbid, and at least someone in the end gets to learn the truth, and as the audience you will perhaps understand why he can't talk about it.

The body of a little girl is found preserved in a sealed drum at an abandoned psychiatric institute. The DCI in charged of the unit goes into labor and Commander Clare Blake comes in to take over. Two former patients Eric Thornton and John Littlewood become the prime suspects. An Irish nurse is suspected to be pregnant at the time. As they search for Eric, they collide with a rival drug investigation. Eric's sister has a doll collection that seems to be connected to the body.

This starts with an intriguing visual of a girl stuffed in a drum. It's almost artistic. The investigation is pretty standard. There are a lot of interrogations and interviews. It makes the story go a bit slow. I also don't like Eric Thornton's inner voice and hallucinations. It keeps his exchanges tiresome and slow. The material doesn't flow fast enough. It's a functional police procedural. The new characters are in flux and Blake's new right hand man needs time to develop.