Les Couleurs du mal : Rouge

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

The body of Monica Begucka (Zofia Jastrzebska) washes up on the sea, in mysterious circumstances similar to a case from fifteen years ago. Her mother, and former police chief, Helena (Maja Ostaszewska) joins forces with prosecutor Leopold Bilski (Jakub Gierszel) to track down the killer, and suspicion falls on feared local gangster Kazar (Prezemyslaw Bluszcz), when a ball of severed lips is found in his possession, but as events draw on, things are not as clear as they seem.

Foreign cinema has an unnerving ability to deliver thrillers in a cold, dark, grey style, of the sort that we see increasingly less of on this side of the pond. This Bulgarian effort, from director Adrian Panek, features a slew of actors unheard of on these shores, with names so unpronounceable they make Schwarzenegger sound positively easy. What at first seems a slightly cold and uninviting affair, gradually develops into an intriguing and rewarding thriller that keeps you hooked till the end.

Aside from the moodiness and uninviting greys of the lighting, Panek's film is also unafraid to shy away from some brutal, blood letting violence, liable to illicit a flinch or two from the squeamish. While as a film it unflinchingly delves into the grimy and uncomfortable world it inhabits, it's also carefully wrought, with some clever twists and turns along the way, and unexpected plot developments that allow the story to breathe and hold you in.

It's a bit of a slow starter, with maybe not the most dynamic opening, but it's ultimately a highly rewarding effort, even if it does take a lot out of you to get to the end. ****

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 usually don't have high expectations on Netflix movies but every now & then there's one that I really enjoy watching and this is one of them! Now this is also a bit of a graphic movie with a bunch of uncomfortable scenes that you barely see in movies these days and I think that's what was important to set the tone very well and keep you wanting to know the truth.

It's hard to watch cuz some scenes are heavy especially mentally but it's also a realistic portrait of these kinds of crimes. The acting especially from the mother was really good!

I'd definitely recommend this movie to people that love crime thrillers. I also love the fact that it's a polish movie. I've been enjoying more foreign movies lately.

Colors of Evil : Red is a thriller and murder mystery with minimum action. I wished for more action. However, this is a good film to watch. There a few twists and turns. Direction is good but slow at times. The main character goes everywhere and never shown carrying or firing a gun. Was he not supposed to have a gun !!!

A young girl, daughter of a female judge is killed and her body is found at the sea shore mutilated. She is is shown entering a club to look for a job and she gets it. Later it is revealed that the owner of this club is a notorious gangster having contacts at all the levels. He kills men and women brutally. He is the main suspect of killing Monica, the daughter of the judge. What happens further, you have to watch this film.

Go and watch this film on Netflix.

Absolutely watchable movie, interesting, and if you like this type of film you can get thrilled and focused on the storyline.

Not sure why people spit and mention there is too much violence etc when it is all noted in the movie description (on Ntflx ofc).

There is a plot twist at the end, it was not necessary, but if you take all the happening before, is not bad.

Also, congratulations to Poland's cinematography, I didn't have a clue they were making movies on this level, good for them.

I would be very happy to watch some more of their movies and cinematography in general.

Also, this is my first and probably the last comment on IMDb, since I am frustrated with the rating of this movie, it is 6.4 currently...