Black Crab (2022) User Reviews

Misses Its Full Potential

[Tweetienator · 5/10 · 19 March 2022]

The production is decent, acting solid, some visuals are really nice, some moments strong, also the story of Black Crab did hold my attention, but for sure the movie misses here and there some momentum (action) and I would prefer some serious cutting to shorten the movie and cut out some unnecessary scenes or shorten them. Some reviewers complain about the missing of information about the war (who fights for what cause) but I guess this is intentional - does the foot solider ever know why they are fighting, what really the causes and agendas behind a war are? Anyway, watchable but with a better composed script Black Crab could have been a really good one.

I'm shocked with all the negative reviews from the critics.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 8/10 · 21 March 2022]

I held off watching this until there were no better options due to the low ratings and reviews, so I didn't have high expectations for this Swede film. But wow was I ever impressed, especially when I found out this was Sweden's music-video maker Adam Berg's first full length feature film as writer and director.

The story was excellent and refreshingly non-Hollywoodish. Some critics felt lost with the timeline changes; they couldn't have been any better! Sure we all wanted some more details to the back-stories, but considering Berg's 114 min well-paced story had non stop edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, I can see how it'd be hard to add more in. I wanted much more story from this little gem and it easily would've held my attention even if it was 3+ hours long.

For that matter, Netflix should make this into a mini-series - it was that good! And it wasn't just a good story, but Berg's directing was perfect, and could easily shame some seasoned directors films that have come out lately. The cinematography was perfection, and the sets, locations and all visuals were stunning. Even the score - especially for an international B-type, film was spot on. All casting and performances were excellent, especially Noomi Rapace, who nailed her role.

Mad props and respect to Berg and Netflix for giving us this little gem. I can't wait to see what Berg comes up with next. So ignore the negative reviews, this is one of the best films for its genre I've seen in years. It's a well deserved 8/10 from me.

i'm sorry that my rating won't affect the, already, low rating.

[isaacmizrahii · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

I get it. Why so many people seem disappointed. No. It's not a BIG hollywood production. And, as some have pointed out, it's dark and bleak. But it's a decent story well told and, in my book/opinion, that deserves at least a 7.

Sure there are better, similary movies, but...the one thing i was disappointed by was that it seems to falsely represent itself as a 'post apocalyptic' story when that isn't the case. It might GET to be the case, but...not throughout most of the film. So really, it's more an action adventure/war type movie.

The acting was convincing. Rapace and her costars pulling off their roles.

Well. My minimum character limit has been met, so...d-d-d-dat's all folks. Cue the music.

Civil War On The Ice

[Pairic · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

Black Crab: This SF/War film is no classic but is far better than what some critics say. Sweden is divided by a savage civil war, civilians are targeted. No explanation is given for the cause of the conflict. The war continues during a bleak winter, buildings are largely destroyed yet improbably still standing. Refugees are everywhere. So reminiscent of what's happening in Ukraine right now. Noomi Rapace is a conscripted soldier chosen for a special mission, she must join a group skating across ice behind enemy lines to deliver a package to an isolated facility. She constantly thinks of her missing daughter, snatched earlier in the war. Even before the mission begins she has a life and death struggle with feral bandits, intent on robbing her vehicle. The collapse of civilization is vividly captured. The terror of crossing the ice, thin at times, the riskk of falling through, coming across frozen bodies seemingly in their hundreds under the ice. A savage film made even more desolate by the realisation that anyone might be an enemy no matter how innocent they look. Helicopter gunships like birds of prey overhead. A good near future thriller with a few flaws and twists in its tail. Directed and Co-Written by Adam Berg. On Netflix. 7/10.

Underrated

[koofasa · 8/10 · 22 March 2022]

At first I thought the film was too narrow but then I found it very tense and so the narrowness came into focus. This is a Swedish film so, to me, it was a plus. There's no hype about it or in it. Six people have been commanded to deliver a secret item to their comrades on an island. They need to skate 100 miles to get their destination because the ice is so thin. There is no mention why the item couldn't be flown to the destination so that part was just the drama that binds you to watching the film. You want to know what is going to happen because of the ice skating. The film has a moral dilemma to it and that's the best part. We learn that in that world there really are no good guys. That idea hit home for me because it reflects our world today.

Quality Swedish apocalyptic movie

[stevebondi · 7/10 · 21 March 2022]

Noomi is a very convincing actress with the potential to even be an action star! :-) Great production including the visuals and the acting. And despite some aspects of the plot that did not quite make sense to me, the movie was engaging and thrilling :-)

Noomi Rapace is always a must

[pittkerry · 7/10 · 26 September 2022]

Black Crab does not really ever let you get to know who is fighting for what. The moral dilemma really shown early in the game, but there is depth to it.

The one thing you learn watching Scandinavian movies is that you are always trying to figure the endgame. They are an acquired taste at first, but when they include Noomi, you have to watch. Somebody commented that she might make an Action Hero? Where have they been.

Watch the movie to see her range as an actor and the storyline is pretty good to.

That's the other thing about non Hollywood movies, they are not made like Hollywood Movies, enjoy the difference.

Noomi Rapace steals the whole

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 24 March 2022]

This is a film which is better than any Hollywood production anyway, on any point. It is not an exceptional movie but very efficient, fast paced, splendidly made and acted. Noomi Rapace has already proved her awesome skills as an actress who can play in any kind of films, even male oriented ones. I won't evoke the story itself, because it is not my kind of stuff, so It's fairly impossible to say if it is believable or not. I only speak of the movie quality on the shape, not the meaning. This kind of topic is not the first since one decade. Beautiful, great photography and production design for a dark, gritty atmosphere. Awesome ending.

Grim World

[albertval-69560 · 7/10 · 19 March 2022]

It's a war movie and not a war movie in the sense that the focus of the war is not the enemy which remains nameless and amorphous but on what a select group of soldiers do during a secret, perilous and daring mission behind enemy lines.

The visuals of the drab, icy wasteland which they cross are stunning. One eerie scene captures what appears to be a frozen mass grave in perpetual winter.

It's not difficult for the viewer to see the rationality of Edh's and Nylund's decision as a way out of the grim post-apocalyptic world they're in.

Noomi Rapace as Caroline Edh stands out in this film.

No Man's Land on Ice

[sbweightman · 7/10 · 22 March 2022]

A relatively standard war story but in a different, somewhat isolated setting with some artistic and thought provoking scenes. The representation of the civil war by the way the squad mistrust and turn on each is other is well done, even if most of their war horror stories are a bit cliché. Good action scenes and acting, but the lack of explanation in regards to the wider context and the silly, drawn out ending spoil it a fair bit.

Meh

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 20 March 2022]

Nothing exceptional about this action thriller, very meh. The concept was interesting but the storyline moved too slow making the film too long. Decent acting but characters had no substance.

A movie of frightening importance

[polednick · 9/10 · 21 March 2022]

Here I am sitting just a few hundret kilometer away from an actuel war zone and writing about a war movie.

Spoiler: On the run from a raging war a mother is separated from her daughter. Years later, the war is at is peak. The mother has joined the homeland forces. She and some other getting an order to deliver 2 capsules to an lab. The only problem the lab is far away separated by the ocean. The good news, the first time the connection between the mainland and the lab is frozen.

The motive of this movie is.....who can you trust?

Everyone has his own motivations and certainly the last to trust are those in a postion of power.

The action is good and there are no Superman/Wonderwomen running around. The performance of Rapace is that of an mother on a mission.

A not hollywood war movie...

[paulselly · 7/10 · 24 March 2022]

And suddenly the war seems true! :-) The movie is exciting & dramatic... very "nordic" setting... Noomi very strong as always. A good "future war" movie. Really don't understand the low rating... maybe because there aren't superheroes in it???

Thin Ice

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 2 April 2022]

I guess that is the best I can come up with. Hey that's still funny ... even if maybe half of the people here thought about using it ... and then one tenth actually did. I didn't check in case you are wondering. I am walking on thin ice myself see? All kidding aside, the thriller we have right here, is quite excrutiating.

But in a good way, even if I wasn't entirely sure what was happening - especially at the beginning. I got into it - because of Noomi and the other actors involved. I have seen a couple of movies (as you can tell), so I knew other actors besides her too. She plays the main role of course and carries the whole movie on her ... back/bag. Well I guess that is technically a pun.

There may not be much in the way of story here (and it could have been a bit tighter/shorter), but overall it works. Especially visually speaking - this is quite the feast. Suspense is also there from start to finish, with some minor pacing issues for some I assume.

The other thing you have to be aware of: there will be action, blood and some sort of mayhem. Not for the faint hearted then .. though I have seen worse (better?) ...

lack of context makes this a bad thriller

[thewalkingpuns · 5/10 · 20 March 2022]

Noomi rapace was at least good but given the plot and character there was no real development. I liked the image of the soldiers skating across the ice though, that was fun. There was though unfortunately no real context given to anything. From what the point of the canisters were to why these two sides were fighting to begin with. The title is good at least but the plot was very much lackluster.

CRAB CAKE

[MadamWarden · 6/10 · 19 March 2022]

Watchable for its amazing sets/locations and good action scenes.

The actual story or plot eluded me unfortunately. Hence I couldn't understand the key protagonists intentions nor motivations. Completely unrelatable.

Sort of ok if you accept that. 😝

Watch it, before you freeze to death.

[bombersflyup · 7/10 · 18 March 2022]

Black Crab is an engrossing foreign film, with good action sequences.

Rapace a reliably good actress, in a unique action adventure. I suppose the characters could've been better, the flashbacks as well, but I enjoyed it.

Another Vaguebook

[rmmil · 3/10 · 20 March 2022]

I'm not sure if it's just a coincidence but lately I'm seeing a lot of films of this type on Netflix: A partial story. Vague storytelling.

I don't understand this recent trend of disaster / post-apocalyptic films that purposefully leave out major portions of the story. Maybe it's an attempt to narrow the viewer's focus to "what matters", but I can't stand stories that leave out major world-building bits, because it makes me care a lot less about the story itself and the characters in the end.

In this film, for example, there's a war in Europe (bad timing movie, bad timing), but we don't know how long it's been going on, why it's happening, what the protagonists role in everything is, etc. Everything is just really bleak, all the time. So, why should I care about anyone when I don't know much about anything?

I suppose it's an action film of sorts, but the action is pretty poorly done as well, and rarely makes sense. Why did the original CO of the mission drown in like 5 seconds when she went underwater, for example?

Then it ends eventually...but due to the overall bleakness the ending is unfortunately portended a mile away. Just a sad film to make you feel even more sad about the state of the world. Avoid.

An enjoyable watch

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 23 March 2022]

Another Noomi Rapace film for Netflix. I quite enjoyed it although it's not one of her best and pales in comparison to WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY? And THE TRIP, for example. The story is set in a kind of post-apocalyptic Sweden, where an unknown foreign power has invaded and subjected the population. A group are sent on a special mission with a chance to turn the tables on the oppressors. A good look and feel in this one, with nice visuals throughout, and punctuated by realistic action sequences which work well. It's not the most amazing or exciting film out there, but I enjoyed it all the same.

The ice is strong enough to support the 1:54 hrs play time

[martin-ib-bruun · 7/10 · 19 March 2022]

(mild spoilers ahead)

Why on God's green earth this movie has such a low IMDB score at the time of writing is beyond me.

People complain a lot about the lack of context, but for me this made it all the more dystopian.

The only valid critique is the predictability. Granted it is predictable, but a lot of movies out there are predictable and follow a sort of code. This one follows the band-of-soldiers-on-a-near-impossible-mission code and doesn't deviate, so yes, if you prefer twists and turns this movie falls short.

However the movie has plenty of other good things in store to make up for a predictable storyline. The eerie scenes of the soldiers making their way forward on the vast expanse of ice accompanied by a beautiful chilling synthy score are breathtaking and already enough to merit at least a 6-star review.

I also see reviewers being dissapointed by the action scenes, and this is also beyond me. The bunker scene, anyone?

This is not an 8-star movie, but it is certainly a solid 7. Maybe if you were to crack down really hard on its shortcomings it could be categorized as a 6-star movie, but even so it is still worth spending an evening in the company of the Svart Krabba band of soldiers.

Pretty decent film

[doujyr · 7/10 · 20 March 2022]

I found the first 80% of the film really good. Depicts the embattled nation so well, rather poignant given current events in the Ukraine, and the journey across the ice. The last 20% I thought was a bit over the top as was the ending. But at least there was an ending unlike many films these days which just leave you hanging.

If Noomi fan, skip this.

[gpxdlr · 3/10 · 19 March 2022]

Waste of her talent in this film. She is much better than this. Rest of cast and film is okay. Kept me watching until it went downhill with the final scenes. Implausible and a few goofs.

Well done, gritty, and dark.

[gcsman · 6/10 · 4 April 2022]

The one-sentence IMdB summary of the film gives you the essential plotline perfectly, so I won't repeat it here. There's been so much to choose from in recent years in the postapocalytic/dystopian/military TV/movie genre that it's getting hard to do something distinctive. But Black Crab accomplishes that by taking advantage of its home country' Sweden's geography. Somehow, after the initial surprise of seeing our heroes -- a handful of commandos who've been assigned to deliver mysterious Capsules to a secret lab far away -- speed-skating in winter, at night, across a frozen archipelago carrying backpacks and high-power rifles -- it becomes quite natural and even sensible. And it makes for some great, moody visuals. There's also enough action in the form of close-quarters combat to satisfy most fans of action movies.

The obvious star is Noomi Rapace, who's very competent and no stranger to dystopian thrillers. The whole thing has a rather brutal feel to it, but very definitively in a non-Hollywood way. Dim concrete bunkers are just dim and dirty, destroyed cities are a mess, and the gunfire, explosions, and blood don't splatter the whole screen -- they just happen. The only glitzy bits are right at the end, in the secret lab itself, and even that isn't overdone.

At the same time, it's stereotypical in places. When the commander tells the group "As long as one soldier gets through, the mission will be a success", we know perfectly well how that's going to go for the next hour and the only surprise will be in the details. And we know who the survivor will be. The basic question (and really one left without a satisfying answer) is which side, if either, is the right one in this shadowy war that began before the film started and will continue after it ends.

Ignore The Infantile Reddit Posters

[jeff-2051 · 7/10 · 22 March 2022]

It's not perfect, but it's certainly not as bad as many reviewers have rated it. If you only enjoy comic book movies with lots of pretty colors, then yeah, avoid this movie. For all the people not spending all day watching 30-second porn clips on Reddit, and are actual adults with life experience and pain, then it's is worth a watch.

Noomi Rapace never disappoints.

[Alcaminhante · 8/10 · 2 April 2022]

Excellent thriller. Simple but really effective with a fantastic atmosphere and direction. Also it's so good to see a thriller that avoids all the Hollywood boring cliches and so naturally the IMDb score is low as most Americanized audiences Im sure were expecting the typical action flick with some bad guy and a twenty minute fight between the hero and the villain.

Nothing like that happens in this movie. It's not original, but it has a really good structure and some outstanding visual moments.

Nice bunch of characters, some good little twists here and there and manages to keep the suspense going even when we know what is going to happen next.

The apocalyptic atmosphere was great and as usual Noomi Rapace elevates yet another simple movie to a different level.

If you're sick of the usual Hollywood formula, your]'re not looking for another Micheal Bay popcorn instead of a movie , and you like this type of almost sci-fi dark atmosphere with a little bit of war, a little bit of suspense and some really cool visuals give this movie a chance as this Sweedish movie is way better than anything that Hollywood tends to pop up pretending it's cinema nowadays and I bet it cost way less than a sandwich from the catering of a Marvel ...product.