The Absent One

Department Q is more sophisticated and sweeping than The Keeper of Lost Causes and has more interesting supporting characters. Only the awkward plot development in the form of an escape from the cell before the climax spoils the impression of a first-class crime film. And the climax itself could have been longer and more dramatic. (05/06/2015)

The previous movie was a bit more demanding. It was a little bit more difficult to get used to the investigator duo. In the sequel it got a lot easier. And despite the fact that the two main actors didn’t showcase a lot of emotions due to the gloomy story, the result was more than interesting. During the whole two hours, I was watching so intensely that it was as if I was watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo again for the first time, which is exactly what I needed from a Scandinavian crime investigation. An excellent story, a gloomy environment, complex characters… what more could I want? I can’t wait for the next movie. (29/06/2015)

The tense and overwrought nature of its peripeteias, characters and twists found in The Absent One goes beyond the boundaries on common genre trash to the level of superficially gloomy and coarse comic books for would-be adults. And that’s not even to mention the exploitatively poisonous venting of aggression toward the golden youths and higher social circles, which are depicted here as a rabble of amoral perverts and sadists that make the bad guys from Garth Ennis’s cult films look good. The narrative agitatedly piles up their deviant excesses so viewers can vent their anger in a properly plebs-satisfying medieval spirit. (11/05/2016)

I like that the world of Department Q isn't embellished, everything dirty and vulnerable. That's why I was surprised at times by Kimmie's toughness, I couldn’t believe the kind of things she could handle, until it seemed almost out of place in this down-to-earth crime drama. But it actually didn't distract me to much while watching. It's more that I still can't get used to the pacing of the narrative in Nordic films (I've only had a chance to watch a couple of them so far, but each time they felt much longer than they really were). Definitely not a bad film; if you like dirty crime dramas, just jump right on in. A better 3 stars. (03/10/2015)

When I was reading reviews of the book, I was sure that it could be something that would entertain me. In the film adaptation, however, that is not entirely true. The characters are good and they entertain me, but the stories don't really captivate me that much. I think much more could have been extracted from this, but it simply didn't work in the film. Nevertheless, I am curious about the next film. (21/06/2015)