Colonia

Using cheap clichés from Hollywood genre movies, Colonia is silly in places, but at the same time, it has a solid romantic storyline and, in contrast to that storyline, can also be fascinatingly bizarre (the microworld of the colony, its characters and internal laws). Viewers are frightened by the cruelty of domination and the helplessness of the victims, and the tension’s so great that they are kept on their toes the entire time. Michael Nyqvist’s bad guy is truly abominable. (21/03/2016)

A story built on strong themes that we have all seen a thousand times before elsewhere, and often far more evocatively delivered. The narrative is cohesive and builds up satisfyingly, depressingly reflecting the oppressive atmosphere of its tyrannical setting, with the casting of the disgustingly accomplished villain Nyqvist being a definite hit. Unfortunately, it lacks the aforementioned suggestion, which is, with a few exceptions, represented by cheap, visual and plot clichés for the masses, and the fluffy ending, although it pulls you in by evoking warm empathy for the fate of the main characters, turns out exactly the way the you’d expect. The horrific story of Dignidad deserves a slightly more distinctive and gritty treatment, although I acknowledge the effort to make such untold events as widely available as possible. 70% (23/05/2016)

In collective scenes sufficiently predatory and absorbing, in moments of terror it forces you to avert your gaze. As a whole, in its message of freedom of spirit, mind, and humanity, it does not fail; in the possibility that something like this is real even in modern history, it is fatally depressing. When looking at the flawless Emma Watson and the captivating Daniel Brühl, I am willing to forgive a few minor stumbles because the content outweighs the importance of the screenplay form this time. (12/04/2016)

Colonia has a somewhat slower start, in which we get acquainted with the characters and the inhospitable setting of Colonia Dignidad, while the second half is already more action-packed, and in the last twenty minutes I was squirming in the cinema, waiting anxiously to see how it would all turn out. Some of the colony scenes were really raw to the point of being uncomfortable to watch at times. It's almost unbelievable how out of control a system based on the thoughts of a fanatical madman can get. In short, a solid drama that gains more power and impact the moment you realize it's based on real events. (25/06/2016)

I was looking forward to this film, but I’m disappointed. Daniel Brühl was excellent as usual, but this time he was overshadowed by the main villain played by Michael Nyqvist. The role obviously agreed with him. My disappointment stems mainly from the fact that it is difficult to create an atmosphere of terror when you have to rely on mere hints. I'm not saying that I need to see splashes of blood on the screen all the time, but Colonia felt a bit like a porn movie with a bunch of people sitting around a table discussing sex. It could have been a good film if it hadn't been for the wasted potential and the resulting lackluster atmosphere. (18/11/2016)