Dark Crimes

A Polish detective, Tadek Pietrzak, is drawn to a cold case: the murder of a businessman whose body was found in a river. When a controversial writer, Kozlov, publishes a novel that describes the killing in striking detail, Tadek becomes convinced the author knows more than he should. His investigation pulls him toward Kozlov's partner, Kasia, and into the shadowy world surrounding her, while his superiors and his own family grow impatient with his fixation.

The film is directed by Alexandros Avranas, following his 2013 feature Miss Violence, and is based on a New Yorker article by David Grann. Jim Carrey plays Tadek, with Marton Csokas as Kozlov, Charlotte Gainsbourg as Kasia, and Kati Outinen, Vlad Ivanov and Robert Więckiewicz in supporting roles. Jeremy Brock wrote the screenplay, and the production was mounted with a budget of four million dollars by companies including RatPac Entertainment and Saban Films.

Released in 2016, Dark Crimes runs ninety-three minutes. Its reception has been weak on every measure: the film holds a 4.6 rating on IMDb from roughly twenty-one thousand votes and a matching 4.6 on TMDB from about five hundred votes, while critics have been harsher still, averaging 2.7 out of 10 across thirty-six reviews. Audience and critical scores alike place it well below the usual range for a thriller with this cast.