I was glad that the Department Q series continued, but of course, I also had to adjust to the absence of the familiar duo. Four films are quite a lot, they create a sense of familiarity. At the same time, I like Ulrich Thomsen. He belongs to the same creative circle, and it fit naturally into the picture that our protagonist had simply aged. It was only afterward that I read the author had wanted to steer the whole thing in a new direction because he found the series too action-oriented. He criticized the simplified storytelling, the more superficial character portrayal, and the weaker presence of black humor. Instead, he specifically wanted a more subtle, slower-unfolding narrative.
I understand this - with some restrictions. After all, there were already two-hour-long earlier episodes, and Fares Fares was particularly strong in providing humorous counterpoints. The new Assads, on the other hand, barely had any role at all. But as for Mørck, I found him just as fine now as before.
I watched this, the sixth installment, before the fifth, and it didn't surprise me-it fully delivered the oppressive, downright disturbing story I expected. Yes, in these films, the source material is crucial, so talking about them means talking about the story. And here, there's everything-perhaps even too much: a cult, a revival of an Egyptian ritual, the dark web... At the same time, the emphasis on the omnipotence of art and the boundaries of its legitimacy was strong, which I liked. However, the film's synopsis claims that the threads lead back to Mørck's past-this, above all, felt excessive to me. Forced. But then, I also thought-why not?
As for humor-of any shade-I didn't find any. The whole thing was too realistic for that. Darkness settled over everything, and it's almost a miracle that the investigators even found their way back from it.
Regarding the supposed action-heavy nature of the previous films, there was no hesitation in the plot twists here either, that's for sure. I have to admit, the thought crossed my mind: could it be that the writer felt most familiar with SVK's character above all?
