In modern cinema, some things are constant. One of them is the lack of quality in Polish crime flicks. Alas, Netflix’s new thriller, Colours of Evil: Red, is yet another disappointment. 

When it comes to the film adaptations of popular crime novels, often a sense of excitement preoccupies us. We want to believe in them, even though the final product we usually get is a proverbial disaster. A similar case is Adrian Panek’s Colours of Evil: Red, a thriller based on the best-selling (and captivating, to say the least) novel of the same name, written by Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak. It tells the story of a young girl, Monika Bogucka (Zofia Jastrzęska), whose body is found on the beach. An investigation commences, held by an ambitious detective, Leopold Bilski (Jakub Gierszał) and her mother, Helena (Maja Ostaszewska). 

As a director of two episodes of the acclaimed series, Raven (PL: Kruk), Panek has already proved to be a prominent auteur, who knows the genre’s rules, flirts with them and delivers engaging storylines. Regardless, it feels like in Colours of Evil: Red, the director attempts to please Netflix’s mainstream audience, which is nowadays used to warm colours, easy-going action and theatrical acting (take, for instance, Bridgerton). Instead of expanding the rather dark aesthetics from Sobczak’s book – after all, it’s a story about an unexpected, horrifying murder, reminding us of Stephen King’s The Outsider – Panek has decided to combine an investigative-like premise with family melodrama and some adolescent themes. None of these tropes properly stand out and the film becomes a disjointed mixture of incoherent aesthetics. Contrary to the extensive novel, there is just no space in the script to focus on each theme thoroughly. 

As always, such titles are partially rescued by stellar casts and memorable performances, but it’s never enough to make a real difference. For instance, Andrzej Konopka, who plays an equivocal clinical doctor, proves he’s one of the best Polish actors from the “old generation”. Similarly, Przemysław Bluszcz, with his ambiguous role of a local gangster, reminds us of his best performance as an ominous Uwe Rappke from Time of Honor. And, we cannot forget about Jastrzębska, who is currently Poland’s rising star. She’s a versatile dramatic actress; indeed, it’s her time and we hope she won’t prove us wrong in the near future.    

Ultimately, one can tell that mellowing the book’s harsh undertone deprived the adaptation of its unique style. Therefore, Colours of Evil: Red is nothing other than another “recycled” crime thriller, full of clichés, not-surprising plot twists and forgettable heroes. Yet, it also proves that Polish actors (especially Jastrzębska, in this particular case) can play almost anything and they deserve much better roles. At least it’s a lesson we can draw from this mess of the film.

2/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz