Some films rely on atmosphere. Others, especially detective films, rely on a central character and its right-hand person, used to navigate the viewer.
None of that exists in this splintered film, yet another one in the aimless series of films about Beck.
Besides: what's up with Martin Beck? You won't find out from this film, in spite of his face adorning posters for it. He hovers like a ghost without any redeeming features, nor any type of explanation in regard to why he's not retired.
The side people in this story are unfathomable and devoid of writing to make viewers like them. One's either good or vad, unless you're police in this mess, which means you can also be cursed with an unfathomably low talent for deduction; a five-year-old child could sort out some things in this film faster than this lot.
In the end, we're left with a mess of a film that's a brief and stereotypical view of violence in the suburbs of non-white Stockholm.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-11-10T11:10:24Z
THE WACPINE OF 'BECK: UNDERCOVER'
WRITING: 5
ATMOSPHERE: 4
CHARACTERS: 5
PRODUCTION: 5
INTRIGUE: 2
NOVELTY: 0
ENJOYMENT: 5
The Good:
The acting is okay, thee cold and bleak colour palette first the Nordic noir theme and the script capture the Swedish crime scene well.
The Tinder dating subplot is funny in all its glorious childishness. The characters and their relationships are developed somewhat here.
The second half and the conclusion is sufficiently exciting, if very safe and unoriginal.
The Bad:
All three countless Swedish crime thrillers are starting to melt into each other, so it's difficult to tell them apart. This Beck film feels like most other Beck films, but also like almost any Wallander, Falk or the like out there.
Another constant problem is the plethora of realistic but mostly uninteresting supporting character that form the bulk of the vast of these thrillers. I forget about them the moment I've finished watching the film.
Seriously, what the point with having Beck in these new films at all? He barely appears, plays no pivotal part and gets lost under the extended main cast that does all the real work.
A general lack of plot progression sinks the first half of this film. There's no real investigation into things, stiff just kind of happen and the problem solve themselves.
The Ugly:
This film proves you can find true love on Tinder.
WACPINE RATING: 3.71 / 10 = 2 stars