Journal 64 (2018) User Reviews

A well-written, well-acted thriller that only lacks a FINAL JOLT! [+72%]

[arungeorge13 · 7/10 · 23 February 2019]

I had no clue that 'Journal 64' (or 'The Purity of Vengeance') was part of a series of films known as 'Department Q', before looking it up on IMDB (and that was after watching the movie). Well, even if it wasn't, the screenplay has added enough layers to its lead characters to make it a totally engaging fare. Assad, one of the cops in Dept. Q, is set to move to another division and his partners Carl and Rose are finding it hard to come to terms with his departure. The uncovering of a few mummified bodies behind the false wall of an apartment in Copenhagen brings an exciting case on the desk of Dept. Q once again.

On the side, in 1961, we are introduced to Nete (and how she ends up on The Girls' Home in Sprogø for 'the morally defective'), her roomie Rita, the fascist doctor Curt and his unsympathetic assistant Gitte Charles. The film provides a fair bit of an insight into the grim realities of what went down in that island facility, and it's definitely not for the faint-hearted. Does the past have a connection with the goings-on of the present? Watch the film to find out!

Adapted from the novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the screenplay packs enough thrills and punches to keep the viewer on their toes for the most part. A conspiracy is unraveled slowly; we realize the subplots aren't mere subplots. Every character shown on screen has at least one or more relevant scenes. That clearly indicates the screenplay's strength. With a cast that's already popular among Danish viewers, director Christoffer Boe had his job cut out to an extent. He has retained some of the gruesome details of Sprogø to reinstate how big of a terror-show it once used to be.

Incorporating elements from a past era into a film can sometimes come across as too dramatic and struggling to convey the right notion. Director Boe doesn't have any of it. The daunting flashback sequences at the facility are as thrilling as the duo (and their female colleague) trying to crack their case several years later. The crafting is excellent, the thrills very carefully placed. The plot, however, gets predictable beyond a point. The supposed twist in the tale isn't exactly what one would term 'remarkable', but in a thriller universe, I believe it fits.

The climax is a bit of a stretch too, with the extended scenes catering more to fans of the franchise than to the plot. If that doesn't bother you, you have a really good thriller in your hands. The camaraderie between the leads is also one of the reasons this film works so well. It has well-rounded protagonists (one of them fundamentally flawed, and for the right cinematic reasons!), above-par performances, detailed plotting, and just the right amount of thrills and action set-pieces that can make your weekend a wee bit more interesting!

What I immediately need to do is seek out the older counterparts to this movie and binge-watch them.

Another solid Department Q case!

[cliffmerayah · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

If you haven't seen the previous episodes, I strongly suggest you do. It explains the bound between the two protagonists. Once again Department Q delivers an emotional and strongly written police adventure. By now it's hard to imagine a movie in these series without the constant switch between past and present. It's an interesting way to uncover the timeline and the motives of each character. It just works really well. Is it the best one in these series? Probably not. But it's still worth your time, even if you haven't seen the previous three films. I hope there will be more of these.

Grasping

[Foutainoflife · 8/10 · 19 March 2019]

I've only seen one other film from the Department Q series and both were good films. Once the film started, it just grabbed me and didn't let go. I'm not gonna spoil it so all I can say is give it a go if you like thrillers. I was pleased.

The best Department Q movie

[kokogrillo · 23 January 2022]

This fourth movie in the Department Q series is the best one so far in my opinion. It was also the first of the films I saw without having read the book first. Hence my higher rating? Maybe. Anyway, it's a good and thrilling movie with some unexpected twists and a story inspired by true and horrific events.

Nice as always, but a bit lesser

[mgd_m · 6/10 · 26 January 2020]

The series reached its ceiling with the second and third episode. Here it lacks a final punch and some character depth, that was very welcome in the previous installments. Also, the circumstances of the murders are a bit weird and never really explained. Anyway, it's the usual two hours of nice entertainment.

A solid procedural thriller with taut performances.

[Fella_shibby · 10/10 · 13 January 2020]

I am a bit biased (fan of the series n the characters Carl, Assad n Rose) The film is very intriguing with enuff tension n a satisfying ending n it holds you in its grip from start to finish, with taut performances n some amazing cinematography. Inspite of the movie going backward n forward, it doesn't get incoherent at all. In the present we c two young girls enter an abortion centre n the flashback scene is of a man who puts his daughter in an institution as a punishment for being morally wrong. In the present, workers discover mummified bodies all connected with the same institution. While the mummified murder case is fresh, it is passed onto Department Q as the bodies has been ther since 12 years. While Assad has been promoted, Carl n Rose r still working in the basement aka Department Q pertaining to unresolved cases. Carl starts investigating n Assad too joins him as he has one more week left before his promotion.

Good, but not as good as the previous

[namstonk · 7/10 · 21 January 2021]

As usual it's well acted, directed and atmospheric, but for being the darkest (there is truth loosely in the story) it is also the weakest. The problem is a couple of very daft scenes that really do detract, however it's still better than most movies based on novels. Carl and Assad are one of the best partnerships on screen and you do feel for how they have evolved. Pity this seems to be the final in the series.

Love this movie series!

[growns_up · 9/10 · 30 March 2019]

I was so impressed with the first movie and it has always been an impatient wait until the next instalment. I just love how the Danish can come up with such quirky characters. Sometimes the character put you off because they are so different but as time goes by you grow to love them and it is amazing how the subtle acting can convey so many emotions if you look out for them. I would be very sad if this was the last we see of these quirky characters. I just hope there will not be an English language version remake!!!

The weakest installment in an otherwise great movie series.

[DimitrisPassas-TapTheLine · 6/10 · 19 February 2019]

Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Jussi Adler Olsen's ''Department Q'' novels, and I've greatly enjoyed all the seven books in the series so far. I think that the Danish film adaptations were almost perfect, casting two magnificent actors for the roles of Karl and Assad, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares (''Easy Money'', ''The Nile Hilton Incident'') and remaining faithful to the soul of the books, their bleak atmosphere and twisted villains. Unfortunately, ''Journal 64'' proved to be weaker than the previous three films, the best of them being ''A Conspiracy of Faith'', as it lacks in both pacing and plot. The story deals with a number of significant social problems that reach far back in Denmark's history such as the mandatory sterilization of socially disadvantaged women. As it happens in every ''Department Q'' series, we watch two narratives unfolding, one in the present with the investigation by the police and one in the past set in the remote island of Sprogø where a series of horrible experiments on innocent young women were committed. The investigation begins with the gruesome discovery of a sealed room in an apartment in Copenhagen where four embalmed bodies are found. Karl and Assad soon discover the link of the case with the shady history of Sprogø and the heartbreaking story of Nete Hermansen who lost her child and got sterilized by the repulsive doctor, Curt Wad. The main problem with this film is that it tries to tell a story of about 600 pages in two hours. As a result, a lot of qualities present in the book are absent because of the necessity of the limited running time. This problem is the main reason that the author of the novels, Jussi Adler Olsen, stated in an interview he gave that he hadn't seen any of the films and has no interest or participation to their production. The script seems to be hastily written and the scenes succeed one another in a synoptic manner, giving a contrived feeling of to the viewer. The tempo of ''Journal 64'' is rather flat and monotonous. The ending is anti-climactic, giving no real catharsis or satisfaction to the viewer and it is also not short of cliches that dominate crime films. The villain(s) is not convincing and nothing reminiscent of the vicious antagonists of the previous three installments. That being said'', Journal 64'' is an easy to watch film which can be entertaining especially if the viewer is not demanding and do not take the film seriously. The visual imagery is beautiful as in every film in the series, and the duo of the protagonists are great in their roles. If you are a fan of the novels or the previous trilogy, you don't want to miss it as it is the last movie in the series as the producers declared. Make sure though not to have high expectations and be ready to show leniency to the film's -many- flaws.

Fantastic 4th instalment

[joestaats · 10/10 · 23 February 2019]

The 'Department Q' series is one the best of its type that I have had the pleasure to watch. Why has it taken so long for this the 4th instalment to be released. Now it seems the series has come to an end which is a great pity. 10/10 for each epsiode and the whole series. Danish film making at its superbist!

Gritty crime thriller that sometimes tries to be a bit too much

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 28 July 2019]

"Journal 64" or "The Purity of Vengeance" is a Danish/German co-production from 2018 that is mostly in the Danish language and maybe you guessed it correctly from the photo already that here we have another film based on the books by Jussi Adler-Olsen, so this is a novel adaptation. Director of these almost two hours is the pretty experienced Danish filmmaker Christoffer Boe and no less than three writers adapted the book. I am a bit surprised that neither Boe nor two of the writers seem to have worked on the previous film(s) by JAO, even if one of them is a BAFTA nominee. Anyway, the main focus here is on Mørck of course as usual with his colleague Assad also getting some screen time as always, even if he is about to make a step up on the career ladder and being send to another department. And then there is the case. This time it basically plays during different times and there are over 40 years between them. One is about a teenage girl who gets sent to a correction facility for females that are somewhat extraordinary in a negative sense. She has/had a romantic relationship with her cousin and plans to marry him, have children as well and so on. Obviously with how things were in the 60s, this was not accepted by any means. Many people will probably still object today. And there is major focus on the head of the institute, another young woman who is an inmate there and also about a nurse. Well and this whole situation results in the brutal murder of three people that show up in a mummified state behind a wall in the now when our pretty special detective investigates. He is really rugue really badass etc. but it is still working and never seems gimmicky or a caricature which is a nice achievement I guess as we keep watching how the story unfolds and what really happened back then. It is a film about revenge as much as it is about forgiveness too. I must say as we find out who eventually is the one that did it and why, I am still a bit shocked I mean with how young she was then and also the exact method of the crime. Okay, lets not go into detail any further there let me just say there are a few moment when it is a pretty cruel and also graphic movie overall. I enjoyed it though. It definitely is not my favorite from the series, but this is not because this one here is weak or anything (it certainly isn't), but because at least one other was more interesting and tense story-wise. These JAO films are certainly a bit on the dark side in terms of the plot but also because of the comedy that is there the way you find it frequently in Scandinavian films. More on the sobering side and sarcastic than really delightful. But the latter would not have fit with the subject anyway. What else can I say. I must say the story of Assad here was disappointing he was just filler material and means to the story, but there was little about him realistic sadly. I am talking about the girl he knows who had contact with the gruesome doctor mostly, which was a bit too much of a coincidence and his job story that of course he stays in the and decides barely being out of the coma to do so was also a bit too much on the predictable and forced happy ending side. This sadly also took away from the emotional moment when his colleague tells him at the end that he needs him too. So yeah I hope with the next one that with Assad fully back in the team they hand him better material again, the character is just too big for what they did with him this time. Also towards the end he is basically just the helpless victim there to propel Mørck's story line. Come on guys that's not the way to go. I have not read the novel, so not sure if the problem lies there or in the adaptation, but I have a feeling it is the former. Two other things I did not like is that there is really a big circle of people surrounding the modern monster doctor and that the police officer date was among them too. It felt equally predictable at least towards the end when Assad tells him to make a call for colleagues. Overall, it is a pretty interesting film that elaborates on a dark time in Scandinavian medical history and it is good it was made also with the addition before the closing credits roll in, the words on the screen. There is noce attention to detail, especially the comedy works very well (even if that is subjective), for me it did at least and moments like how the doctor cannot really be criticized for what he did back then and also the chubby police inspector who sees through it and pays with his life were good addition. I probably won't have to give a recommendation here because honestly chances are tiny you consider watching this one without having seen anything from earlier. I mean you could do it you don#t really need previous knowledge to enjoy it, but I still think taking the chronological path is the better choice. I do certainly give it a thumbs-up though. Go for it! Some pretty interesting characters and story in here despite the flaws that sometimes cannot be overlooked. Oh yeah the girls are pretty cute too.

Don't worry, they still pull it off

[dakjets · 8/10 · 22 April 2019]

Finally a new reunion with Carl Mørch and Assad with a new crime mystery, the fourth in the series and so far the last one that is planned. It's a shame if there aren't any more, because again this is awesome crime; exciting, unpredictable and raw. Unlike the previous films, the action here is more comprehensive with more elements than what is first assumed. The film manages to balance this well. Still, I think this is a small minus. The previous films were all about a particular event, which they investigated. Here, there are both conspiracy theories and more comprehensive, than the more linear predecessors. Nevertheless, this holds plenty. Contrary to all that goes on television of crime series and movies, Journal 64 is liberatingly different and much more exciting and therefore interesting for anyone who loves good crime.

THE LATEST FROM DEPARTMENT Q DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, BUT PLAYS SAFE

[mjfhhh · 7/10 · 9 July 2019]

Department Q is a series of mystery novels by Dutch author Jussi Adler-Olsen about a group of detectives who investigate cold cases. In modern Copenhagen a sealed room is discovered in an old apartment building with four dead bodies positioned at the table. The murder had occurred so many years ago the bodies are mummified. There's one empty place left at the table.

Your enjoyment of the film is highly dependent on your love for the main characters. This is story number 4 and for those of us who have been on this journey for some years our detectives - sombre Carl and charismatic Assad have become our old friends. The narrative as usual switches between the past and the present. The flashbacks in Department Q films can be a bit boring and confusing, but not this time around. The story gallops forward at a high pace introducing many elements, some require serious suspension of disbelief, but the core message about women's suppression of the past and the present is loud and clear. There's also some action involved- again quite unusual for these series.

The movie is very atmospheric, Copenhagen is dark and mysterious and the women's institution in the flashbacks looks fabulously haunted. The mystery holds no big surprises but good acting, suspense and location is why you should check the movie out.

Now I am tempted to try the books, but Carl's and Assad's adventures still seem to be too politically correct for my liking.

A medium movie

[eskov · 5/10 · 3 March 2019]

An okay movie - but a very bad screenplay adaptation from the book. So many nuances and important point is lost :-(

A thrilling and suspenseful entry in which a series of mysterious murders are strangely connected to the same institution.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 10 October 2023]

¨Diario 64¨ or ¨The Purity of Revenge¨ (2018) by Christoffer Boe displays a good cast with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Johanne Louise Schmidt, Søren Pilmark. It's been five years since the first success of the Department Q in "The Keeper of Lost Causes: The cases of the Q Departament" (2013), and only two short years since the hunt for the serial killer in "Redemption¨. In this entry the unpredictable Carl Morck -more intractable and introspective than ever- is once again played by Nikolaj Kaas, while Fares Fares gives life, once again, to his faithful companion of the department, Assad. Behind a thin wall are three mummified corpses around a table with a free seat. Gruff agent Carl Morck and his good assistant Assad will follow the clues of an institution called Sprogo where medical experiments took place. There they try to discover who should occupy the fourth place. These events are eerily laced to a strange facility. It is a truly tragic film about a twisted investigation in which our two protagonists face the most difficult case. Even though the terrors of Sprogø are a closed chapter in Danish history, there are now people claiming the experiments have continued to go on up until today. What happens if you can't let go of the past, if it eats you up inside?. Nothing is forgotten forever!. Based on the best-selling novel of First Department Q!. From the Screenwriter of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'!. Your last chance at him is the lost causes department!

This is the fourth installment after "Misericordy" , "Desecration" and "Redemption" and it is the turn of this "File 64" in the series of Danish productions based on the crime novels by Jussi Adler-Olsem in which two detectives and a secretary are in charge of investigating, if it arises some relevant fact, files almost closed for years. Christoffer Boe - Golden Camera at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival - directs professionally this thriller that has characteristic elements of the films of the seventies and especially of the Nordic crime novel.

The film that was presented in the official selection at the 2018 Sitges festival, presents in this series the personal and professional relationships of the protagonist police officers, here at a sentimental crossroads. Being well starred by Nikolaj Lie Kaas as deranged and cold detective Carl Mørck , Fares Fares as his faithful helper Assad and Johanne Louise Schmidt as efficient secretary Rose who in this episode takes on greater prominence than in previous entries. All of them begin a race against time to prevent new killings and attacks from creepy happenings.

And here the interesting story is intertwined with some historical elements about the Danish figure "Karl Steincke": He is known for his book 'Social Security of the Future' (in Danish, Fremtidens forsørgelsesvæsen) from 1920 in which he stated:"We treat the insignificant one with all kinds of care and love, but we prohibit him, in return, only from reproducing." His book was the basis for Danish laws on eugenics, the sterilization and castration of unwanted elements. Steincke considered that preventing the reproduction of "unwanted" people was important for society, mainly for practical reasons and because according to him "no one wanted them to have children, even if they were healthy". These types of phrases did not prevent him from being awarded the gold medal for merit and he has been cited as the main architect of the Danish welfare state with the Social Reform Laws of the early 1930s, including the Kanslergade Agreement.

Absolutely Top Class

[brianable · 10/10 · 26 February 2020]

And I thought the British made the best police psychological dramas! The whole series of 4 (up to now) are absolutely incredible. Great script, great acting, great director(s) and first class filming - you cannot fault this series in any way. I'm off to read the novels now - the inspiration behind the films MUST be an incredible writer!!

Good but

[gigday · 6/10 · 2 April 2021]

The movie has only one problem, you know exactly what is going to happen since the beginning.

Exciting and well made

[sillekjaersgaard · 9/10 · 20 June 2020]

I love Jussi Olsen, this movie was very VERY well made and the acting was spectacular. It was super passionate and one of those movies you can't look away from. I highly recommend this movie. It's super exciting and unpredictable.

Good as the last ones

[DLochner · 7/10 · 28 December 2019]

Basic and good narrated thriller, as we know it from the first three parts of this movie series.

Of course, its not an outstanding crime movie, but it has its own kind of character.

I love the dark mood and the strong filming. As well as the main actors Lie Kaas and Fares. Both fit together really well and I'm looking forward to the next part this movie series

Haven't watched any of the "Apartment Q" films, but this is crime gold!

[sebastiansallingkierkegaard · 10/10 · 12 October 2018]

I have to admit that this is the best Danish crime movie ever made (my opinion). It is well written and the acting is top notch. It's disappointing that the lead actors aren't coming back for the next flick.

But watch this film and you will get chills!

Another solid Department Q movie

[WillInDenmark · 6/10 · 15 May 2023]

Journal 64 is a solid addition to the Department Q series, but it's not particularly exceptional. The film is quite gruesome and strays into the ridiculous at times, but overall, it's an enjoyable Krimi. The story begins when some workers make a grisly discovery in an old apartment in Copenhagen. They find three mummified corpses seated around a dining table, with an empty seat left for a fourth person. Detective Carl Mørck and his assistant Assad are assigned to find out who the corpses are and who the fourth seat was intended for. They begin investigating the apartment's residents and eventually trace the trail back to the notorious women's institution on the island of Sprogø, where mentally challenged and "immoral" girls were housed and mistreated, and most were ultimately sterilized.

The historical part of the story takes place in the 1950s, and it's a dramatization of a sad and interesting chapter in Danish history. The film sheds light on the mistreatment and medical experimentation with forced sterilization that was a regular part of life for the girls placed on the island. While these horrors are now part of Denmark's past, some people emerge in the present, claiming that the experiments have continued to this day. Carl and Assad race against time to prevent new murders and abuse.

The film's direction by Christoffer Boe is competent, and the performances by Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Johanne Louise Schmidt, and Søren Pilmark are excellent. The production design and cinematography by Nikolaj Danielsen and Jacob Møller respectively are also commendable. The film has received positive reviews, and while it may not be the best of the Department Q series, it's still worth watching, especially for its insight into Denmark's past. Overall, Journal 64 is an interesting and enjoyable watch.

Dont have words

[terezakollova · 10/10 · 28 April 2019]

Left great feelings after seeing this whole serie <3

Notting like the book!

[Rico_besselaar · 5/10 · 15 January 2020]

Wow, I loved the book. But did not like this movie at all. The movie starts where the book ends. In the movie they find the bodies and have to investigate. In the book a hooker is missing and start a investigation, eventually ending up with 3 mummies and Rita as the survivor, not Nette. So they look nothing alike!

Classic Scandinavian noir

[walesara54 · 10/10 · 4 June 2022]

My swedish wife has read the novels from the day the first was published. A fantastic critic of films based on books. Her suggestion to watch the available films. I am brit expat but fluent in swedish and ok with Danish. We get swedtext anyway. I thought this film was just perfect and the expert said it held quite well to the book. Farris Farris is a great compassionate actor and this film gave him an opportunity to show it. Great series of films.

impossibly great!

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 3 May 2019]

Makes the first 3 installments look like mere attempts which, with hindsight, they were. One of the best movies in years. Perfect script, acting, cinematography, direction. Emotional highs, perfect ending, and politically correct to boot.