Those Who Kill: Shadow of the Past (2011) User Reviews

Poor Man's "88 Minute"

[buddybhupender · 7/10 · 16 July 2012]

i know i should not be bothering about writing a review of this Danish Flick but i just want to help others in understanding whether they should watch it or not.

If you are non Danish audience well u may or may not like it...depends on how much similar kind of movies (serial killer) you have seen and how deeply you understands this genre or you just want to explore new sensations you never experienced in the Hollywood.

I am a non Danish and i just want to say that while i saw this movie i noticed a lots of loopholes in the whole shooting sequences; like no press, no news articles, no statements taken from surrounding people just once, otherwise they just acting without using their brains in showing how an actual police investigation goes on...even a normal person can guide the actors what to do or how to proceed an investigation...but anyways..i don't know the country so i can't say how things are done there..so i would be liberal here and say that it is overall a decent effort and one can at least enjoy some moments where they will feel that this movies might turn in to some serious entertainer but again the weak script and bad direction proves it a mundane affair..though the performance was nothing great it wasn't bad either..Adam Krogh though was impressive and he was able to pull off his role as a psychopath. But nothing was there for others to do much..even Lars Mikkelsen(Flame and Citron Fame)was not there in most of the movie and i think he was just there to attract crowd so that ticket sale goes up...his role didn't provide him enough lines to add to his reputation so his talent was wasted.. Lead pair of Laura Bach and Jakob Cedergren did OK.

But from a Danish movie perspective i think (though i am not an expert it is my assumption) i think this movie is a one time watch..don't compare it to Hollywood or Asian cinema otherwise you will not be able to appreciate the genuine danish attempt or take on contemporary murder and crime tales.

Though the back drop of the movie (some may compare it to Al Pachino starer 88 Minutes where the leading character also advocated the release of a suspected serial killer)at many times might seems like one of the Henning Mankell novels where a criminal commits a crime in the abandoned home of Nordic or Swedish mountain villages and police is clueless but slowly and suddenly all the mystery is revealed but the pace of the story might become unbearable so judge it by yourself.

Every one makes mistakes but one should appreciate the genuine effort and this movie delivers to some extent some moments of shock and surprises!! Though typical at many places it still manages to hold you till the climax. One time watch!!

One last case for Thomas and Katrine

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 7 April 2012]

After the original series was axed after just one season the characters return for this one last case and it looks like it will be a tough one for all concerned. The story opens with a man walking on to a bus and killing the driver before proceeding to shoot each of the passengers. Most of them are just left where they fell but one, a woman, is arranged by the killer so she is hanging out of the window. When Thomas sees the scene he is immediately reminded of a patient he once treated; a former soldier who and just been released from prison after serving six years for killing a teenaged girl. He is the suspect because the crime scene matched one of several macabre pictures he drew while incarcerated. When further murders that match his pictures take place it is clear that he must be the killer… the police just have to catch him before he can kill again.

This was a fine conclusion to the series; knowing that it was the last ever story increased the tension as the likelihood that the creators might kill off one or more characters crossed my mind quite early on and increased when we learnt of Thomas's prior involvement with their suspect. There were a couple of good twists; the first wasn't the greatest of surprises but the main twist that came at the end really surprised me as it meant much of what the viewer believed they knew was inaccurate. The acting was solid as I've come to expect from this series; especially from leads Laura Bach and Jakob Cedergren who played Katrine and Thomas. There were some particularly gruelling scenes; I had to look away as the killer prepared to dismember one still living victim and the final scenes were some of the tensest yet and made it unlikely that the series will be resurrected.

Very unrealistic

[abildgaard6 · 4/10 · 11 July 2012]

It seems as though the director had no clue as to how real murder crime scenes have a huge impact on the surroundings in urban environment.

In the first opening minutes several passengers on a public bus are gunned down in the middle of Copenhagen, yet no one really seems to care. No media or anything are at the scene the next day, the bodies are still exposed to the public, and the few cops wanders aimlessly around trying to look busy for the camera. In other words: a bad start to a mediocre movie.

The acting was good as it usually is in Danish movies, but the script was too weak and unrealistic. Unfortunately the plot it is pretty standard as well. Yes, there is a rather random twist at the end, but nothing in this film has any depth to it.

The two lead cops acts as irresponsible children, going places where no cop would ever go solo or without immediate backup. Even when they know who the killer is, no one is really searching for him except the small team of cops who seems to have very limited resources.

I recommend that you skip this one if you were not a big fan of the original series.