BLACK CRAB on Netflix is a new Swedish production (org. title Svart Krabba). Starring Noomi Rapace alongside a few other familiar Scandinavian actors. They are fighting to survive in a war-filled post-apocalyptic world and given a nearly impossible mission. Read our full Black Crab movie review here!
BLACK CRAB is a new Netflix movie from Sweden (org. title Svart Krabba). The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that feels very close to our present day. It’s a real genre-hybrid, but action and adventure are definitely among the top genres. Along with sci-fi due to the fictional nature of the core plot.
The movie stars Noomi Rapace alongside other Scandinavian actors, you may recognize. With a runtime of just under two hours (1 hour and 50 minutes, to be exact), the pacing works and the story is engaging and exciting from start to finish. Be warned, however, this is very dark and dystopian. There isn’t much hope of any kind in this movie.
Continue reading our Black Crab movie review below and watch it on Netflix globally from March 18, 2022.
The horrors of war
The world presented in this Netflix movie almost hits too close to home. Actually, strike that “almost”, because, with the current situation in Ukraine, several scenes in Black Crab do look like something straight out of the evening news. War is upon the nation and in this movie, it’s Sweden but appears that at least all of Scandinavia is involved.
I say this because while the story begins in Sweden, they keep talking about going south and one of the soldiers is Danish. He speaks Danish and only says a few things in Swedish when he needs to make sure everything is understood.
FRIENDLY REMINDER
If you can at all live with subtitles, then please watch this in the original language. The actors in Black Crab are really amazing and watching dubbed versions of their performances just isn’t the same.
The absolute star of Black Crab is Noomi Rapace, who is always good. I have watched plenty of movies with her that I wasn’t crazy about, but she is always good. In this Swedish Netflix movie, she is truly the heart and soul of the story. At times, humanity personified, but at other times, she is also just human and fighting for survival. And the safety of those she loves.
Noomi Rapace was most recently in Lamb (2021) and the Netflix movie The Trip (2021). The latter is ultimately close to being a horror-comedy and might be what you need to recover from the dark brutality of Black Crab.
Other actors in Black Crab are David Dencik (The Chestnut Man, No Time To Die), Ardalan Esmaili (Domino), Danish actor Dar Salim (Game of Thrones), and Jakob Oftebro (Kon-Tiki, The Snowman) who is actually Norwegian, but can play any Scandinavian.
A suicide mission
The core characters in Black Crab are soldiers. However, in this world, everyone is a soldier because they are forced to fight for their way of life. Again, something we are seeing for all adult men in Ukraine right now.
In Black Crab, a group of soldiers has been chosen for a mission. They are chosen because they know how to skate and/or know the area very well. Mostly, Caroline Ehd (Noomi Rapace) seems to be the real hope if this mission is to succeed. And it does sound like a mission that is nearly impossible. In other words, it seems like a suicide mission.
Unfortunately, it is also the one shot they have of winning this war. Or so they are told as they are sent out to skate across frozen water behind enemy lines. Along the journey of this mission, we come across several scenes and moments that illustrate the horrors of war in very scary ways. It really succeeds at painting this one picture perfectly vivid: Everyone loses in war!
Who is the enemy?
We are never told who the enemy is. I mean, this is a dystopian and post-apocalyptic world, and the side we are following, clearly consists of Scandinavians, so we know that much. Also, going South is the only safe option, which (starting from Sweden) means Denmark and possibly the EU.
The obvious conclusion is that the other side – the attacking side – is the same that is currently attacking Ukraine in real life. Again, it is never stated directly, which is a win for this story. No particular country or politician is ever mentioned and it actually makes the story even scarier.
After all, what’s worse than fighting against an enemy, you can’t even really identify?! Not much. Especially not when the actions required (and demanded) of you, make several characters doubt whether there is a “good” or “right” side in the war being fought in Black Crab.
Watch Black Crab on Netflix!
Adam Berg is the director of Black Crab (org. title Svart Krabba). He is also the co-writer of the screenplay with Pelle Rådström. This is the first feature film for both Adam Berg and Pelle Rådström, and it’s a very strong debut. Previously, Adam Berg has directed several music videos for Scandinavian artists such as A-ha, Kent, and The Cardigans.
The screenplay is based on a novel by Jerker Virdborg, and it was also this author’s debut as a writer of a novel. I have not read the book, so I can’t speak on how direct this adaption is. What I can say is that the main character in the book was Karl Ehd, and in this Netflix adaption, it’s Caroline Ehd who is portrayed by Noomi Rapace. Clearly, a strong and good choice since she is amazing!
I do actually recommend watching Black Crab on Netflix because it’s well-made and gives a lot of food for thought. It might not be for everyone since it is very dark and hits close to home with the current situation in our real world. Then again, when the pandemic first broke out, everyone started watching Contagion and Outbreak, so I may be very wrong.
Sometimes, it would appear, we need to watch even worse situations on TV to escape the bad things happening in real life. No matter your reason for watching this, the production quality is gorgeous, the actors are great, and the story is as dark as they come!
Black Crab is out on Netflix globally from March 18, 2022.
Details
Director: Adam Berg
Writer: Pelle Rådström
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Jakob Oftebro, Erik Enge, Dar Salim, Ardalan Esmaili, Aliette Opheim, David Dencik
Plot
BLACK CRAB is a Swedish action thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by war. During a long, harsh winter, six soldiers embark on a covert mission across a frozen archipelago, risking their lives to transport a mysterious package that could end the war. As they enter hostile enemy territory, they have no idea what dangers lie ahead or who—if anyone—they can trust. But for speed skater turned soldier Caroline Edh, the mission is about something else entirely. BLACK CRAB follows the six soldiers on their desperate mission across the ice. As they push themselves to the limit, they have to decide what price they are willing to pay for their own survival.
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