This Polish thriller is conventional in many ways, but its brusque, obsessive female cops linger in the mind.
 |
| The Plagues of Breslau From Netflix |
Patryk
Vega’s lurid opus centers on a particularly imaginative serial killer,
and the film’s title gives a couple of clues to connoisseurs of the
genre (and Polish history). Breslau is the old name of the city of
Wroclaw, which indicates our maniac may look to the past for
inspiration. This is reinforced by the reference to pestilence: Could
this grandiose exterminator be sending a message?
Admittedly, these traits apply to many cinematic psychopaths, who always seem to draw the worst lessons from yesteryear.
And frankly, “The Plagues of Breslau” (streaming on Netflix)
isn’t all that innovative. Vega doubles down on the grotesque (the
first victim was alive when sewn into a bull’s hide, the second was
quartered by horses, and so on), which he then counterbalances with a
familiar pairing of mismatched cops. The sullen detective Helena Rus
(Malgorzata Kozuchowska) has the asymmetrical haircut and standoffish
demeanor of a cold-wave keyboardist. Lone wolf, check. To solve the
ostentatiously deranged murders hitting Wroclaw, she is teamed up with
the equally offbeat profiler Magda Drewniak (Daria Widawska), a nerd in a
shapeless hoodie and baggy jeans. Crime-solving savant, check.
What
makes the movie somewhat interesting is Helena and Magda’s battle
against an establishment of lunkheaded chauvinists who take their
domination for granted. A pulsating rage at the way society neglects
women in particular, its weakest members in general, courses through the
movie. More than the displays of flayed flesh, it’s what sticks.
The Plagues of Breslau
Not rated. In Polish, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 33 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
- Director: Patryk Vega
- Writer : Patryk Vega
- Stars : Malgorzata Kozuchowska, Daria Widawska, Maria Deimek
- Running Time: 1hr33min
- Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
0 Comments