Now streaming on Netflix, Adam Berg’s Swedish action-thriller, ‘Black Crab,’ is set in a war-ravaged post-apocalyptic world. The film does not provide much backstory to the causes of the conflict but has enough substance in the story for all of us to visualize the destruction in war.
‘Black Crab’ follows a team of soldiers who are tasked with a mission to end a war. The film opens with a scene in which Caroline Edh (Noomi Rapace) and her daughter are stuck in a traffic jam. Moments later they are attacked by unidentified gunmen and they both get separated.
The story then jumps to a few years later when Caroline is now enlisted as a soldier who along with others is sent to deliver two top-secret packages by entering the hostile enemy territory through the treacherous wintery landscape.
Noomi Rapace (“Prometheus,” “Close,” “The Trip”) stars in this action thriller
‘Black Crab’ has a great plotline, but it never shines in telling the story. While we learn little personal details about Caroline in flashbacks, we never get to the cause of the widespread civil war. There is no hint of any racial, regional, class, or ideological conflict. Nevertheless, the film with its ambiguity sets an intriguing premise, although predictable, but worth watching for its impressive characterization, exceptional performances, and cinematography.
Also, looking at the present war situation, the film seems more realistic in presenting an apocalyptic vision while the action is only limited to the wide expanse of ice. It’s the suspenseful, uncertain, and gloomy environment that mostly makes the film engaging. Moreover, it is a story of hope through the mother’s eyes of being reunited with her daughter, and the hope for the war to end.
As pointed out earlier, it’s the story or narrative structure that keeps us hoping for more but never delivers the punch. ‘Black Crab’ could have been a lot better and some of us might even question the climax but what we get in the present script is also justified in a war film. If not anything else, you should watch ‘Black Crab’ for Noomi Rapace’s performance and the film’s cinematography.
‘Black Crab’ is available on Netflix, Watch the trailer here
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: Adam Berg
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik.
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2022
Where to watch Black Crab (2022)
