“Colors of Evil: Red”: a review of the Polish Netflix novelty. Wasted potential

• “Evil colours: red“ Directed by Adrian Banka, is a new Polish film and dark thriller based on the book by Malgorzata Oliwija-Sobchak. Championship side by side Jakub Jirzalo and Maja OstaszewskaOn the screen we see, among others, Zofia Jastrzebska, Wojciech Zielinski and Andrzej Konopka.
• In this film story, we will move to the Polish coast, which viewers will be able to see from a different and dark side. A Tricity beach becomes the site of a horrific discovery when the body of murdered girl Monika Bogoka (Zofia Jastrzebska) washes ashore. The investigation is headed by prosecutor Leopold Bielski (Jacob Gerzal), who joins the victim’s mother, Helena Bogucka (Maja Ostaszewska), on their way to discover the truth. The circumstances of the murder suggest a connection to a crime that occurred seventeen years ago, and the solution to the mystery lies in the dark secrets hidden by Helena’s murdered daughter – reads the Netflix description.
• The film can be watched starting May 29 Netflix.

The Color of Evil: Red is a disappointing film. Great actors in the cast, a story that should keep you in suspense and an announcement that this is only the first part of the series and we can expect more. Unfortunately, the Adrian Panek-directed film only looks good on paper, and due to poor production and a flawed script, even the best Polish actors couldn’t salvage the Netflix novelty.

The film’s events take place in a town on the Polish coast. A dead girl was found at sea. The cruelty is compounded by the fact that her body is left without lips. It soon turns out that she is the daughter of local high-ranking figures – a bank president and a judge. What happened to Monica Bogoca? Prosecutor Leopold Bielski will try to solve this case.

From the first minutes of “The Color of Evil” we feel that something is wrong with the film, something is wrong. The beginning of the story seems interesting, nice actors, but something spoils the reception. After a while we realize it’s about… the music. The choice of soundtrack is inappropriate, as it does not fit with the events we see on screen. The music spoils the impression of the film, especially in the police station scenes, where live electronic music can be heard in the background, having nothing to do with the dark interior of the room.

When it comes to script problems, after watching “The Color of Evil,” I can’t identify the main character. Almost all the characters are nice. We finally learn the details of Prosecutor Leopold’s private life, but we can’t say whether he is reserved, mysterious, or quite the opposite. The characters do not have expressive personality traits that allow us, the viewers, to identify with them and relate to them.

The film “The Color of Evil: Red” is not devoid of clichés. We may think the mystery is solved, but at the end there is a twist – one we’ve already seen hundreds of times. After all, this story structure has been used in crime stories for years and is successful in some productions, but not in the case of The Color of Evil. Maybe I wouldn’t complain if the motive to commit the crime was stronger and more credible, but it’s not. The ending leaves the viewer unsatisfied and feeling like wasted time.

It is also schematic in the side plots. The betrayal, the prosecutor’s emotional attachment to the case, the overexposure in the dialogues that explain to us what is happening on screen… and many other aspects. to summarise, “The Color of Evil: Red” is a crime thriller that lacks better refinement in terms of script and production.

If I were to highlight one element that I really liked, it would be the acting of Zofia Jastrzębska and Przemysław Bluszcz. Zofia plays a murdered girl and Przemysław plays a local gangster. Unlike Ostaszewska and Gierszał, these two made the most of a bad script and brought their greatest acting strengths to bear. Especially Mr. Bluszcz – the movie and the entire series should be about him, not the nice prosecutor Bielski. His character seems to be the perfect antagonist, the evil genius for Gierszał’s hero to go after. But this did not happen. It’s a shame, because Przemysław Bluszcz, with his distinctive husky voice, could emerge as one of the most interesting antagonists of recent years in Polish crime cinema.

4/10

“Colors of Evil: Red”, dir. Adrian Panic. Release date on Netflix: May 29, 2024

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