Colors of Evil: Red—Blood and Rage
The Netflix film Colors of Evil: Red (2024) is adapted from a novel by Polish author Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak. This Polish police procedural opens with the body of a young woman, brutally murdered and mutilated, washing onto the beach, surrounded by police and the forensic doctor. The circumstances of her death indicate Monica was the victim of a psychopath, a sadistic serial killer with horrific, heinous sexual proclivities.
Rookie prosecutor Leopold Bilski (Jakub Gierszal), perhaps the last honest cop in town, is determined to do the right thing, emulating his father who was killed in the line of duty. Searching for the truth in a dangerous environment with officers allegiant only to power, Bilski is unaware of the formidable obstacles to justice. Soon the body is identified, rather reluctantly, as Monica Bogucka, a bartender at the Shipwreck nightclub (the name echoing the beach as the site of the murder). But she is no ordinary working-class nightclub employee. She is the daughter of a prominent judge, Helena Bogucka (Maja Ostaszewska) and a top-tier attorney. The beautiful Monica, young and naive, flirts with the club owner, the biggest mistake in her short life, but we don’t know her motives until much later.
When police officer Bilski informs Monica’s mother of her death, the mother– a prominent judge married to a top-tier attorney,– is resolute in finding the murderer in an attempt at restitution for her failure as a parent. Why was Monika attracted to the dark side in the first place? The answer lies at the heart of the flashbacks leading up to her murder. Bilski zeroes in on the family dynamics as well.
This Polish cinematic thriller delivers one of the most brutal depictions of murder and psychopathology ever presented on screen. Descending a violent rabbit hole evoking the most unbelievable inhumanity to others demands an unflinchingly strong stomach. However, Colors of Evil: Red has unexpected plot developments that will hold those who can endure to the very end, with surprises revealing motives that are understandable and those that aren’t. Evil of these tragic proportions requires more backstory into the reasons for the existence of such cruelty. The story is tragic, heroic, and unforgettable.
Availability: Netflix
Warning: Colors of Evil:Red includes disturbing scenes of sexual violence and assault. A few scenes–particularly visual– tread into gratuitous violence territory.