Change Your Image
Denis_Griffen
Reviews
Infinity Pool (2023)
Don't waste your time
This is a mess of a movie from the start. Scripted by David Cronenburg's son I had high hopes that viewers would be treated to some of the brilliance that we have become accustomed to from his father. No such luck....instead we are confronted with a series of gory confused drug-induced hallucinations involving a group of rich privileged tourists on a fictional island.
Alexander Skatsgård is as always excellent in the lead role and Mia Goth steals the show in the role of the manipulative Gabi but otherwise it's a case of 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. Best avoided in my humble opinion.
Red Light (2020)
Pity about the ending
This drama is set in Antwerp and Amsterdam and focuses primarily on the sex trade and a particularly nasty pimp called Ingmar who runs a brothel with sex-trafficked Eastern European girls. 3 strong female characters also feature: Ingmar's "partner" who he obsessively controls, a police officer investigating the death of one of the trafficked girls and the upper-class wife of a client of the brothel who is found dead. The series comprises 10 episodes and for the most part is an excellent taut and gritty drama.
Sadly however, all this good work is totally undermined by a farcical final episode which stretches credulity to new limits. What a shame!
The Sinner (2017)
Series 4 a return to form
Just finished series 4 and happily it's a much better series than the lamentable 3rd one. A good story with plenty of strong characters and Pullman is in top form as the tortured Harry Ambrose. If I had any quibbles it's with the length....8 episodes is simply too many and this could have been delivered in 5 or 6. Having said that it's still definitely worth a watch.
Kastanjemanden (2021)
Unmissable
This is a top notch thriller series in the best tradition of Scandi-noir. A great and twisting plot, excellent characters and terrific actors all combine to make this a must-watch series.
Peur sur le lac (2020)
Amateur plot and acting
Somewhere in here there is the bones of a good drama/thriller but this isn't it. A potentially good and very topical story line is let down by a risible plot and wooden acting by the two principal characters.
If you were ever contemplating committing a crime I'd suggest you head to France as this series would have you believe the French cops are a bunch of bumbling inept clowns. Some of the scenes where suspects manage to evade capture defy belief.
An added problem is the two lead characters couldn't act to save their lives. As lead police officers they lack any credibility. Add in a public prosecutor who wouldn't look out of place on the set of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and who in the middle of a major pandemic is only interested in locating her runaway adopted daughter and you have a plot that stretches the viewer's patience and intelligence.
If you've watched the two earlier series you will probably want to catch this but you won't be missing much if you decide not to bother.
Le passager (2014)
Avoid
A huge disappointment particularly given Anglade appearing in the lead male role. Given his exemplary track record I was expecting great things but this is one of the poorest French series I've ever watched. Most of the plot and scenes stretch credibility to the absolute limits including several miraculous escapes for the 2 leads from supposed professional assassins firing a fusillade of bullets from heavy weapons. The operation and behaviour of the French police is also laughable.....they come across as lazy incompetent clowns. One to be avoided.