The Cuyper siblings are surprised and shocked when they open the boxes to find parts of a male corpse inside. Commissioner Van der Valk (Marc Warren) and his team then take over the investigation and discover that the deceased was well known to the family, as it was a diamond cutter who worked in their company. This was particularly well received by the female heirs, but also made various enemies. But who of these could really be after him in the end?
Uninteresting middle piece
After fans longer on the second season of the ARD-crime series Commissioner van der Valk had to wait, there is now concentrated replenishment. Just a day after Hunted in Amsterdam is there with Blood in Amsterdam already the second film. A week later comes Reckoning in Amsterdam, the third and last part. The middle piece works like a classic whodunnit. For every dead person there are several people who could be credited with the crime. The one and a half hours are used to watch van der Valk searching for clues and chasing down those responsible.
The start still makes you very curious. Body parts distributed in a box, that’s a rather unexpected sight – for those present as well as the audience. The environment of a diamond trading family is also actually promising. Unfortunately that comes to naught Commissioner van der Valk: Blood in Amsterdam but more of a soap opera that’s more about the whole drama than creating suspense. There isn’t necessarily a lack of attempts when the Dutch policeman rushes through the city. However, one should set one’s expectations a little further down, the danger that one has chewed off all one’s fingernails by the end of the film is rather low.
Just expedient
Then – unfortunately – the protagonist also fits in with this. The fact that the Dutchman was occupied by a Briton is less of a problem. Worse is that he has so little expressiveness. The film isn’t that bad, though. It already serves its purpose to keep the hungry audience satiated for a while. Where it at Hunted in Amsterdam but at least there was an emotional component that distinguishes the film from the many competing productions, there is hardly anything left of the second trip to the European city. So little that one may ask oneself afterwards whether one has seen it at all.
OT: “Van der Valk – Blood in Amsterdam”
Land: UK, Netherlands, Germany
Year: 2022
Director: Andre van Duren
Script: Chris Murray
Template: Nicholas Freeling
Music: Matthijs Kieboom
Camera: Piotr Kukla
Occupation: Marc Warren, Maimie McCoy, Luke Allen-Gale, Elliot Barnes-Worrell, Darrell D’Silva, Emma Fielding, Paul Bentall, Simon Manyonda, Leo Staar, Julia Akkermans
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