“”Dark, dark manIs set in the spread of Kazakhstan, where most people do not seem to live, but corruption is widespread in every corner.
When this police procedure, directed by Adilhan Jerzanov (“Yellow Cat”), premiered in 2019, it was a regular feature film. The distributor carved it into three episodes for streaming purposes. That’s a shame. Because its pacing and visual style (many of the actions are developed in long shots) are clearly designed to immerse you in the big screen.
In the first third, “A Dark, Dark Man” gives a harsh revelation at breathtaking speed. The deceived local Poukuar (Teoman Khos) is coerced by a mysterious man and provides evidence used to assemble him for the rape and murder of an orphan boy. (Later, it turns out that the boy is the fourth such victim.) Detective antihero Bekzat (Daniyal Arsinov) arrives at the scene and is now like a retractable incident. Investigate if you can see it.
In this area, suspects tend to be found dead before the trial. Bekzat can’t stage Poukuar’s suicide so easily, but journalist Ariana (Dinara Baktybayeva) has come to accompany Bekzat for investigation. She may even push to seriously pursue the serial killer lurking in him.
The sides of the mystery are treated diagonally. The film is more mood, and much of its pitch-black humor comes from the contrast between the barren landscape and the vast amount of horror it contains. (When Bexat and Ariana arrive in the village, an old woman greets him: “You killed my son. Two years ago. I’m cross-examinating.”) Only the last moments don’t look so nervous. ..
Dark, dark man
Unrated. Kazakh and Russian, with subtitles. Execution time: 2 hours and 10 minutes. See MHz selection..
