Contents
Crime themes have been considered one of the most popular among filmmakers for several decades. Directors of different levels of popularity periodically turn to her. And this is understandable, because this genre can combine elements of action-packed action, detective, comedy, social drama, etc. That is why such films will always be in demand among various categories of viewers. In the selection of European films below, you will find films that are very different, dissimilar from each other both in stylistic and genre terms, however, in the plot of each of them there is a criminal component.
10 Lay low in Bruges | 2008
Martin McDonagh won an Oscar in 2006 for his short film Full Clip. This work can be called an overture to his first full-length directorial work – “Lie low in Bruges”. This is a comedy picture with elements of black humor, in the center of the plot of which are two assassins Ray and Ken, who, having failed the task, at the insistence of their boss named Harry, have to sit out in Bruges for some time. Ken believes that staying in a beautiful old city is quite an interesting and useful pastime, and his partner, on the contrary, is waiting for the right moment to get out of it as soon as possible.
9. Prophet | in 2009
Arab youth Malik El Jebena, who was sentenced by the court to 6 years in prison, is not trained to read or write. He has no relatives. In prison, he contacts a bunch of Corsican gangsters, led by a certain Luciani. Malik very quickly wins over the leader of the gang and he gives him the order to finish off one of the prisoners.
Director-producer Jacques Audiard knows how to twist the intrigue and find unusual ways of developing the action. The main idea of the picture is that violence and bloodthirstiness cannot be justified by anything, and a crime, regardless of the motive, always deserves condemnation. Therefore, the director decided not to embellish the reality of the criminal world. He showed the world of bandits as realistic as possible, disgusting even the most sophisticated viewer.
8. Rematch | 2008
Alex serves as an assistant to the owner of one of the Austrian escort agencies. At the same time, secretly from everyone, he meets with the Ukrainian prostitute Tamara. Lovers dream of the prospects of another life, not like the one that surrounds them now. But in order for their “pink” plans to come true, money is needed. In a village not far from the house where Alex’s grandfather lives, a married couple settled – a policeman Robert and his wife Susanna, who really want to have a baby. The fates of these dissimilar characters are intertwined into one ball.
7. Silence | 2010
In 1986, there was a horrific murder of a girl named Pia. The one who committed this terrible crime was never found, but the viewer will be able to see their faces. Further action takes place already in 2009. After so many years, another victim disappears without a trace, and the police have every reason to believe that this is the work of the same killer who was never punished for the death of Pia.
6. Man from London | 2007
The protagonist of the picture is the switchman of the railway station in the port of Mulloy. He leads a “gray” life and does not hope for any positive changes in the future. He has a family, but at the same time he is gnawed by a terrible feeling of loneliness. But everything changes in an instant – when Mulloy accidentally becomes a witness to a crime …
5. Girl with dragon tattoo | 2009
Mikael is a journalist who has been accused of intentionally distorting the facts. To rehabilitate himself, he decides to unravel a mysterious crime that happened many years ago. Paired with young hacker Lisbeth, he gradually begins to delve into all the details of this dark story, getting closer and closer to solving this deadly puzzle.
Here the director gives constructive criticism to some stable social attitudes, but at the same time he manages to dynamically and interestingly embody a masterfully twisted story on the screen. The actors who played the main roles were able to convey the ambiguous characters of their heroes, their mental throwing and alienation.
4. Bad house | 2009
One day, Edward Shrodon, by chance, appears in the house of the Dzyabas couple. At first, the husband and wife were suspicious of the arrival of an intruder, but a little later the hosts remembered their national spirit of hospitality. Shrodon could not then even suspect that this meeting would become fateful. A few years later, Edward will again stand on the threshold of this house, but now he has wandered here not by chance – he will have to assist the investigation in recreating the events of 4 years ago.
3. Once upon a time in Anatolia | 2011
The plot of the film is simple: an investigation team in the steppes of Anatolia is looking for a dead body of a person. The killer was very drunk at the time of the crime, so even confessing to his deed, he could not remember where he hid the corpse. However, the crime itself is not the central concept of the picture – the attitude of the main characters comes to the fore here.
2. Camera 211 | 2009
Juan Oliver recently got a job as a warden in a prison, and in an effort to show himself on the positive side, he comes to work before the shift starts. But during a planned bypass of the blocks, he gets injured and loses consciousness for a while. After regaining consciousness, Juan realizes that he is locked in cell 211, and around a crowd of rebellious prisoners who decided to “take” the prison by storm. The protagonist is trying to cope with the current state of emergency.
Critics call the picture “Chamber 211” one of the most successful prison films made in the last decade.
1. Trap | 2010
In dire need of money, the spouses Mladen and Maria learn that their ten-year-old son is suffering from a serious illness. Only expensive treatment abroad can save his life. Having lost their last hope of finding money, the parents publish an ad with a plea for help. A man responds to the ad, agreeing to help the boy on the condition that Mladen takes the life of another person. At first, the desperate father refuses the terrible deal, but when the boy’s condition begins to deteriorate, Mladen decides to agree to the stranger’s offer…