by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Bleak, post-apocalyptic thrillers have become a popular genre — particularly internationally. Now, Netflix has given us another entry hailing from Sweden. But how does it stack up in such a popular genre?
Black Crab follows six soldiers on a covert mission must transport a mysterious package across a frozen archipelago that military leaders say could turn the tide of the nebulous war we find ourselves dropped into. Even with a brief scene at the beginning, we don’t get much of a sense for how this apocalypse starts. Also, the “war” that necessitates the mission isn’t given much context, except that it’s a last-ditch effort to end it. But the film quickly establishes that danger lurks around every turn. People are desperate and the military’s on edge. That’s before you even get to the mission itself and the dangers posed by the frozen temperatures and unpredictable ice. With its bleak, dark tone, it certainly fits in with the overall genre.
The film is based on a novel, and I’m not sure what they decided to trim. So, I don’t know if background was left out or if the vagueness is intentional. There’s a lot left for us to try to figure out. Do the members of the team know each other? I don’t think so, but there’s still a certain camaraderie that develops rather quickly that makes you think perhaps they’ve met before. There’s also concern over whether there might be a traitor in the group, which only serves to heighten the tension in an already tense situation. Who are they fighting? We don’t really know. They’re faceless — spoken of only as “the enemy.” They’re a constant presence in the archipelago, whose goal is to add drama to the proceedings by putting our protagonists under stress. Even as a nebulous force, they work well as an obstacle.
Noomi Rapace is the only face and name that you’re likely to recognize. Similarly, she’s the only member of the crew that gets much of a backstory beyond brief introductions until much later on. Aside from the opening scene, we’re also treated to intermittent flashbacks with her and her daughter. She’s our main protagonist, the one we’re supposed to root the hardest for to get through the mission. So, the scenes — in addition to giving us the minute amount of background we’re allowed — gives us at least a little something more to hold onto.
This film is the feature debut for Adam Berg, after directing mostly music videos. You can feel his background in the way that music is used. There’s a synth score that adds quite successfully to the overall tone. Aside from that, I thought the film was pretty well shot visually. There’s plenty of expansive shots as our crew traverses the expanse of ice, but those shots are well utilized. The color palette utilized is muted, but effective. There’s nothing spectacular achieved by this first-time director, but it’s competent at the very least.
Which is basically what I can say about this movie overall. Is there a lot of deep character work? No. Is it breaking any new ground, really? Also, no. But if you have Netflix and are looking for a competent post-apocalyptic thriller, and are willing to accept one with a fairly depressing tone, Black Crab will probably fit that bill well enough.
Score: 6/10
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