Colors of Evil: Red Tells a Brutal Story

Monika was a bright young woman who was liked by all who knew her. But when her body washes up on a beach mutilated, Prosecutor Leopold Bilski (Jakub Gierszal) seems to be the only officer willing to search for the truth. Aided by the deceased’s greiving mother, Helena (Maja Ostaszewska), Bilski will confront a dangerous world more brutal than he ever would’ve expected in Colors of Evil: Red, directed by Adrian Panek, written by Lukasz M. Maciejewski (Mother’s Day), and Adrian Panek, and based in the novel by Malgorzata Oliwia Sobczak.

Colors of Evil: Red’s narrative takes viewers down a violent rabbit hole as it explores the cruelty and indifference of much of its cast. While the movie’s use of its many torturous moments feels focused on highlighting the horror that Monika is made to endure, some moments stray into the realm of gratuitous where its visuals are concerned.

The villain in the movie is a monster. The film could take away half of what he does and he’d still be a horror of a human being. How he works the system and how many people are willing to tolerate him only expands his horrific nature. However, the overzealous approach to driving home just how monstrous he is fails to enhance the movie’s narrative at the end of the day.

While the level of graphic violence can be a stumbling block for the film, Colors of Evil: Red’s biggest hurdle is its unclear narrative. Split between two points in time, the movie follows the present-day investigation, as well as Monika’s life prior to her death. While this approach isn’t bad in concept, the movie fails to lay out clearly when past events are happening.

The early scenes of the past narrative feel like they present the moments leading up to Monika’s death. This is jarring and confusing for the viewer as the sequences continue being dotted throughout the film. It eventually becomes clear what the structure and purpose of these moments are, but only after a fair amount of confusion. This confusion draws the viewer out of the film as they are jerked back and forth between time periods.

The present-day narrative brings an engaging, if unoriginal story. Bilski’s investigation is filled with plenty of twists and turns as the story draws him deeper into the violent underbelly of his city. Gierszal does an excellent job playing the role of the last honest cop in town. How the actor projects the character’s convictions without making him more than a normal person is highly effective. There are no impassioned speeches about doing the right thing, just a dogged determination to do his job.

One of Colors of Evil: Red’s greatest achievements is how subtly the film builds out Bilski as a character. Throughout the film, we get tidbits and hints about personal elements of the character’s life. These elements are never fully explored, but the way they are casually mentioned informs the viewer about some of Bilski’s motivations.

Alongside Bilski in his search for the truth is Monika’s mother, Helena. Ostaszewska does a great job of bringing her character through her grief. The narrative’s portrayal of Helena’s struggle to exist and her need to find answers is an engaging plot line that hits tremendously hard.

But while the stars of the present-day story deliver well, Monika truly steals the show. Colors of Evil: Red is filled with complex characters, but how it approaches Monika is beyond the rest. How Monika is drawn into the dark side of her world is an engaging story that allows her to be flawed and sympathetic. She makes some big mistakes that lead her to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

However, the film never tries to blame her for her final fate. It balances her naivete and youth with external pressures and past trauma to weave a character the viewer feels for. While what happens to Monika is terrible, it feels even worse once the story fully reveals the scarred and troubled woman who the film’s villain tortures.

Colors of Evil: Red tells a gripping and emotional tale that hits hard when the narrative is laid bare. Its missteps in story structure and sometimes gratuitous violence keep it from being as great as it could be, but it’s still a powerful story if you have the stomach for its brutality.

Colors of Evil: Red is streaming on Netflix.