BRAVE MEN'S BLOOD (Borgriki 2) (2014) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Olaf de Fleur Johannesson

Written by - Olaf de Fleur Johannesson, Hrafnkell Stefansson

Starring - Darri Ingolfsson, Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

"After the success of CITY STATE, OLAF DE FLEUR JOHANNESSON returns with a film that is not necessarily narratively to be considered as a downright sequel to it, but rather a film that openly plays with a lot of the same scenarios and the same characters, changing some vital elements and viewpoints. The result is even better this time around, as the attention paid to the numerous characers and the intertwining multiple storylines make the film exciting rather than complex and awkward. 

The story of BRAVE MEN'S BLOOD is that of a young ambitious cop, the son of a legendary policeman, who is given some vital information by a former gangster on rotten activities within the police service. This also ends up getting in the way of the rise to the top of a Serbian gangster to the top ranks of the Reykjavik crime world. 

The pacing is optimal and the rhythm accentuates an admirable tension and suspense that makes this story all the more gripping and exciting. More than cinematic inflences, the film recalls an impressively condensed TV series season, and considering that BRAVE MEN'S BLOOD wraps up at a neat feature length duration of around an hour and a half, the achievement is even more venerable."

Thriller, Iceland/France