Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Judge seeks justice for murdered daughter; strong violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Colors of Evil: Red
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Newbie prosecutor Bilski (Jakub Gierszal) arrives on the scene where Monika (Zofia Jastrzebska), a nude dead woman whose lips have been cut off, is found at water's edge. That's how COLORS OF EVIL: RED begins and the twists and turns keep coming. She is the daughter of Helena, a judge (Maja Ostaszewska) whose grief fuels her own investigation into the murder. She teams up with Bilski, who suspects that police corruption in his own unit is helping protect the criminal kingpin and drug dealer who owned the club where Monika worked. The predicament of the prosecutor who tries to keep investigating a case his superior has ordered him to abandon has a modern noirish flavor. One suspect is a sadist. Another has just gotten out of jail. Grief and regret for past mistakes seem to haunt most of the characters.
Is It Any Good?
This violent thriller is sometimes hard to watch but is never boring. Despite the fact that Colors of Evil: Red is mostly a collection of familiar tropes -- a newbie prosecutor smells something fishy, a frame-up is underway, officials are corrupt -- Colors of Evil: Red feels fresh. Perhaps it is the deft editing accompanied by a vivid score by Bartosz Chajdecki, or solid performances and believable dialogue. In any case, it works as a reliable entertainment in a bloody genre. It's just not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the grief parents feel when losing a child. Does the movie effectively show that pain?
How does this movie handle extreme violence compared with other such films? Does the graphic depictions seem justified or could the movie have been equally affecting without showing the bad acts and the blood?
The prosecutor disobeys his boss, fearing the police are engaged in a coverup. What kind of person feels comfortable disobeying a boss? Is that a positive trait or a negative trait? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 29, 2024
- Cast : Adrian Panek
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 112 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : June 10, 2024
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