THE PURITY OF VENGEANCE Movie Review

7/10

Department Q is a series of mystery novels by Dutch author Jussi Adler-Olsen about a group of detectives who investigate cold cases. In modern Copenhagen a sealed room is discovered in an old apartment building with four dead bodies positioned at the table. The murder had occurred so many years ago the bodies are mummified. There’s one empty place left at the table.

Your enjoyment of the film is highly dependent on your love for the main characters. This is story number 4 and for those of us who have been on this journey for some years our detectives - sombre Carl and charismatic Assad have become our old friends. The narrative as usual switches between the past and the present. The flashbacks in Department Q films can be a bit boring and confusing, but not this time around. The story gallops forward at a high pace introducing many elements, some require serious suspension of disbelief, but the core message about women’s suppression of the past and the present is loud and clear. There’s also some action involved- again quite unusual for these series.

The movie is very atmospheric, Copenhagen is dark and mysterious and the women’s institution in the flashbacks looks fabulously haunted. The mystery holds no big surprises but good acting, suspense and location is why you should check the movie out. 

Now I am tempted to try the books, but Carl’s and Assad’s adventures still seem to be too politically correct for my liking.

Now I am tempted to try the books, but Carl’s and Assad’s adventures still seem to be too politically correct for my liking.