Black Crab

There's a war, but it's never told who's the enemy. It's also never told when started war and why. All we know that team must deliver something somewhere. That's it. That's a whole story of this movie.

For some unexplained reason, the Swedes are fighting for their very survival amidst their frozen wilderness, and so a squad of six are tasked with a very important and perilous mission. They have to carry a top secret package to a distant location and their enemy knows that they will be moving. "Nylund" (Jakob Oftebro) and "Caroline" (Noomi Rapace) are leading this usual mix of the gung ho, the scientific and reserved as they set off. Despite all the ice, it's pretty much frying pan to fire from the begining as they begin to wonder if they have a fifth columnist amongst them. Wherever they go, they always seem to be in the crossfire of a well equipped foe - but can they make it to their destination and what will happen if and when they do? Oftebro doesn't really bring a lot to this party, but the gloomily lit and frosty environment does add a little extra sense of menace to this admittedly rather procedural thriller and Rapace pulls out some stops and manages to hold the film together quite well as we discover just what they are carrying and some crises of conscience descend upon a few of the team. There is very little context here by way of a who are they fighting and why, but there is still plenty of action - some more pyrotechnic, some more psychological - and there is just a little questioning of the rationale of war that reminded me a little of the beginning of "Crimson Tide" (1995) too. It is a bit long and at times does get a bit too bogged down in a snow of it's own making, but the writing allows us to get to know a few of the characters and the denouement actually builds up quite tensely as it makes these hitherto loyal officers question that dedication. No, it's not the best cold war film you'll ever watch, but it's on a par with much of the standard Hollywood fayre with the likes of Liam Neeson in it.