← Back to results
The Purity of Vengeance
Journal 64
2018 118 min Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden 16+
★7.4
Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Drama
Director: Christoffer Boe
🎭 Based on
«The Purity of Vengeance»
byJussi Adler-Olsen
Trailers
Description
Copenhagen, 2018. A frightening discovery is made in an old apartment. The subsequent investigation of Department Q leads them to an infamous institution for girls that was suddenly closed in the early sixties.
Budget:
$6M
Worldwide:
$470,000
Starring
Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Actor
Fares Fares
Actor
Johanne Louise Schmidt
Actor
Awards
European Film Awards 2019
— Audience Award
Key opinion
Journal 64 serves as a gritty and compelling addition to the Department Q series, praised for its thematic depth and realistic tone. While loyal fans appreciate the atmospheric continuation of the detectives' journey, some critics find the plot pacing uneven and the character development weaker compared to earlier installments.
| Theme | The film effectively weaves a dark, realistic narrative that tackles profound social and moral questions surrounding eugenics and population control. | |
| Acting | The central duo's chemistry and individual performances anchor the film, providing a solid emotional core that defines the series. | |
| Production | The dark, grim aesthetic successfully upholds the established stylistic conventions of the Scandinavian noir genre. | |
| Accessibility | Long-time fans of the series appreciate the continuity, while newcomers may find the backstory and character dynamics difficult to follow without seeing the prior films. | |
| Adaptation | Opinions on the screenplay are divided; some praise the suspenseful adaptation of the novel, while others argue that key character motivations are poorly explained and the adaptation simplifies complex source material. | |
| Pacing | While some viewers appreciate the slow-burn investigative pace, others find the narrative flow inconsistent, occasionally descending into implausible action sequences. |