‘Hope burns brightest in the cold’
Black Crab is a 2022 Swedish action thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by war and follows six soldiers on a covert mission.
Directed by Adam Berg – making his feature directorial debut – from a screenplay co-written with Pelle Rådström.
The movie stars Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, and David Dencik.
Plot:
During a long, harsh winter, six soldiers embark on a covert mission travelling across a frozen archipelago, risking their lives to transport a mysterious package that could end the war.
As they enter hostile enemy territory, they have no idea what dangers lie ahead or who — if anyone — they can trust. However, for speedskater turned soldier Caroline Edh, the mission is about something else entirely…
Reviews:
“There’s a bigger point to be made about government distrust, which is valuable, but it comes at the end of an already overlong feature, weakening the material’s lasting message. Berg can’t bring the endeavor to an efficient close, but he has quite the introduction, finding many ways to avoid mockery as a potentially comical idea is transformed into a surprisingly tough war film.” Blu-ray.com
” …Black Crab is entertaining and Rapace’s Caroline is both fierce and tragic. With a bleak ending, it’s hard to finish the film and not think “What was the point of all this.” But, that’s by the film’s design. The war and the dying world its taking place in isn’t the real story in Black Crab. Instead, it’s about motherhood, the vulnerability that can be exploited because of it, and the strength as well.” But Why Tho?
“The visuals in Black Crab are pretty impressive, beautiful and eerie in equal measure. Whether it’s skaters gliding across the ice while explosions on the mainland light up the sky behind them, or the depiction of war-torn cities. With all the horror that’s currently taking place in Ukraine, much of the movie, particularly the terrifying open scenes suddenly feel so much more real, really adding to the overall drama and suspense.” Cine Chat
“It’s basically a road movie (across ice), where the crew will face endless problems on their trip, and like all disaster movies, you get the feeling that not everyone will make it. I also love ‘end of the world’-style films, and it certainly delivers on that premise, but while it’s a good film, it does rather go on at almost two hours in length, and could easily lose about 20 minutes.” DVD Fever
“Black Crab is not fresh or unique, but the message it delivers is powerful, especially at this current time. There is enough action to satisfy those looking for it, and Rapace keeps showing how amazingly constant she can be.” 7/10 Fiction Horizon
“The confused ethical mathematics of the foolhardy final act, under which Caroline can rationalize mass death as a complicated grey area whereas lying is the last straw, fritters away the pressure that’s mounted over her frostbitten schlep […] Besides, by that juncture, we’re too preoccupied pondering what this is all for.” The Guardian
“Black Crab moves at a high pace through a dark no man’s land and leads our main characters towards constantly new trials and dangers. On the way, you will also find eerily beautiful imagery, especially in the many scenes out on the ice […] It rarely gets boring – but also not as exciting as it could be if we just felt something for this awkward gang.” MovieZine 2/5 [translated from Swedish]
“In essence, this is a movie with a strong first half, a lackluster second half and a decent ending sandwiching it together. Black Crab’s not perfect, and the film could have done with some tightening up and more characterization, but beyond that, this is actually a pretty solid offering and worth a watch.” 7/10 The Review Geek
“Black Crab does feature some memorable moments peppered throughout the film, all of them grim […] Black Crab is likely too bleak to fit in with the traditional forgettable Netflix fare. Those craving some gloomy, unforgiving post-apocalyptic drama might get a kick out of what’s on display here.” 5/10 Slash Film
Release date:
The film premiered at the Gothenburg Film Festival in Sweden on February 3rd 2022.
Black Crab will be available for streaming on Netflix from March 18th 2022.
Technical details:
1 hour 50 minutes
Original title:
Svart krabba “Black Crab”
Trailer:
