Colors of Evil: Red is a Polish thriller starring Jakub Gierszal (The Defence) as young prosecutor Leopold Bilski. The film is based on the novel Czerwien by Malgorzata Oliwia Sobczak, which is book one of a series featuring Bilski. The film is set in what’s known as the Tricity, which is on the North shore of Poland. The three cities are Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. When a young woman named Monika Bogucki (Zofia Jastrzebska) washes up on the beach in Sopot with a gruesome facial mutilation, police assume that she was murdered by a recently paroled killer named Adrian Jakubiak (Szymon Czacki). However, Bilski does not agree, and he teams up with Monika’s mother, judge Helena Bogucki (Maja Ostaszewska) to find her killer.
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Complicated Plot
Monika worked as a bartender at the Shipyard club, which is owned by violent yet elegantly dressed gangster Lukasz Kazarski (Przemyslav Bluszcz). It seems that nobody in the police want to mess with Kazar, but Bilski, whose father was apparently a legend of some sort, persists. Kazar is truly a sadist, and in harrowing flashbacks, we see Monika get ensnared in his trap. Complicating matters is the fact that Monika’s dad Roman () is secretly Kazar’s lawyer. Sadly, neither Roman nor Helena were paying attention to their daughter. When medical examiner Dubiela () tips off Bilski that other women associated with the Shipyard have ended up dead, Bilski disobeys orders from above and pursues Kazar. Helena helps as best she can, but has surprisingly few resources for a judge. I should mention that, as in other European legal systems, in Poland, a prosecutor can supervise or even participate in criminal investigations if they choose, as Bilski does here.
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Our Take on Colors of Evil: Red
Colors of Evil: Red is a satisfying film, and a decent adaptation. It’s clear that the Colors of Evil book series will continue be a star vehicle for Jakub Gierszal, who does a fine job as Bilski. Hopefully, the Bilski character will become less of a cypher. For now, all we know is that he’s ambitious, clever, divorced, and the son of a murdered legend. He does have integrity and seems kind. The books likely give more insight to his character, but as of now, they are not published in English. The production quality is top notch, and the cast is excellent. There are a few times when Bilski magically puts together clues, or when pieces of information are conveniently dropped into the narrative, but if you can overlook that, the plot is solid. The film is dark in a sadistic way, but thankfully no harm comes to children. If you are interested in a well-paced, gripping thriller, Colors of Evil: Red is for you.
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