Jussi Adler Olsen - Redemption

Carl Mørck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and his colleague Assad (Fares Fares) from Department Q are investigating again! This time, a message in a bottle puts them on the trail of a gruesome crime. The bottle contains the desperate cry for help of two boys who disappeared without a trace a few years ago. But the parents never reported the children missing and committed suicide long ago. The investigation seems to lead to a dead end when a brother and sister are kidnapped again. The parallels between the two cases are so clear that Mørck and Assad are certain it is the same perpetrator. But as they encounter a wall of silence even from the parents of the abducted children in their search for more clues, they begin a desperate race against time.

2013's Mercy, the first film adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Special Squad Q novels, won over lovers of Nordic crime fare. Although the production was overall quite conventional and was rather on a very good TV level, than really like a great cinema film. But some intense moments of suspense and the wonderful interplay between Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares made the thriller a more than successful bestseller adaptation in the end. Desecration, the second cinema outing of the unequal team of investigators, was able to surpass its predecessor in almost every respect a year later. Expectations for the third part are therefore correspondingly high. But even if Redemption can not reach the extremely high, sometimes somewhat disturbing tension level of the predecessor, this case of the Department Q can score on various levels.

There is first of all the actual story, which despite a reduced narrative pace and despite the fact that you as a viewer soon know the culprit, can captivate from the first to the last minute. The oppressive atmosphere and also the deep abysses that are revealed by the perpetrator's motivation nip any possibility of length or somewhat tame moments in the bud. Thus, the film would have been convincing on the pure crime thriller level alone. But there is also the human level, which makes Redemption so successful. This relates to the development of the main characters, but especially that of Carl Mørck, who is increasingly pulled into the abyss by his own demons. Assad, who has long since become not only a partner but also a good friend for Mørck, naturally wants to help and at the same time successfully complete the investigation, which is increasingly hindered by the behavior of his partner, before there are more victims. This makes for a gripping dynamic between the two protagonists that adds another layer of tension to the film.

Despite some great footage shot not only in Denmark but also in parts of Germany, the production overall on a visual level is once again more on (very good) TV level. But the good acting of the actors and the story make this Jussi Adler-Olsen adaptation again great suspense cinema, for which the purchase of a movie ticket is worth it. Absolutely worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp