Movie Review - Amsterdamned 2

Director: Dick Maas
Genre: Thriller/ Action/ Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Huub Stapel, Holly Mae Brood, Ruben Brinkman, Tatum Dagelet, Pierre Bokma, Pieter van der Sman, Patrick Stoof
 
Description: A killer is terrorizing the canals of Amsterdam, with young detective Tara Lee on the case. They call in the help of former detective Eric Visser, now retired, who dealt with a similar case over thirty years ago.
 
Review: In “Amsterdamned 2” there is yet another killer on the loose, taking his victims in the canals of Amsterdam. Detective Tara Lee is lead on the case. Retiree Eric Visser returns to Amsterdam to help out, since he dealt with a similar case in the 1980s.

This film didn’t need a sequel. This was made purely for nostalgic reasons. And although very entertaining and enjoyable, “Amsterdamned 2” is doing much of the same as the first film. The plot is weak and the conclusion is very unsatisfying.

Thr return of Huub Stapel is the highlight though, and he has great chemistry with Holly Mae Brood. Both performances are solid. Many nods to the original, with the humor and another canal chase scene.

“Amsterdamned 2” was not necessary, but still fun. You do need to have seen the first, to understand some plot points and some nods, but overall an enjoyable film if you liked the original.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - The Takeover

Director: Annemarie van de Mond
Genre: Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Holly Mae Brood, Geza Weisz, Frank Lammers, Walid Benmbarek, Noortje Herlaar
 
Description: Framed for murder after uncovering a privacy scandal, an ethical hacker (Holly Mae Brood) must evade the police while trying to track down the criminals blackmailing her.

Review: We meet Mel, an ethical hacker, good at her job and loving it. When one night someone breaks into her house, clearly looking for her, she flees, not knowing why they want her. She is framed for murder and with that wanted by the cops. Mel doesn’t rest until she finds who is behind it all and why she is the target. It sounds very intriguing, but the film is a soulless affair.

It's fun to see a recognizable décor, since it’s set in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (I’m Dutch), but that’s probably the only realistic thing about this film. The story and the characters are totally implausible. I don’t know if it’s because of the self-driving bus that eventually gets out of control, the many plot holes in the script or the lifeless characters.

With all that, the movie is uninspired. Almost everything about it is cliché. The hacking takes place in dimly lit rooms with wires everywhere. It has over-the-top Bond-like villains. And most of all, it’s very predictable.

I think, if you don’t expect anything and you don’t mind predictable thrillers, you might enjoy it. But “The Takeover” is highly forgettable and not original whatsoever.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Review - Alles is Zoals het Zou Moeten Zijn

Director: Ruus Schuurman
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Barbara Sloesen, Jan Kooijman, Sanne Langelaar, Jelle de Jong, Julia Akkermans, Tom van Landuyt, Bram van der Heiden, Patrick Stoof, Allard Geerlings, Holly Mae Brood, Victoria Koblenko, Meral Polat, Emma Deckers, Anne van der Burg, Kharim Amier

Description: Immediately after the birth of their first child, Iris’ (Barbara Sloesen) boyfriend Pieter (Jelle de Jong) confesses that he never wanted this child and has been having an affair for a year. And he will be leaving soon for Africa with his new love.

Review: The Dutch film industry is doing well, but that doesn’t mean we love everything that comes from it. Currently we are having an overkill of romcoms and however they aren’t all bad, “Alles is Zoals het Zou Moeten Zijn” belongs on the bad pile.
In this romcom, Iris has just delivered her first child. Her boyfriend Pieter tells her that he never wanted the baby and is leaving for Africa with his new love, who he has been having an affair with ever since Iris turned out to be pregnant. Pieter abandons her, where television producer Iris drowns in her own sorrow and grief in her far too big house. The tide seems to turn when a handsome man enters her life. Iris tries to get her life back on track, as a new mom, with her disobedient dog and a high demanding job.
Iris is so obsessed with her own problems in her luxury world, that it’s somehow really hard to sympathize with her. This film is clearly taking inspiration from “Soof” (a successful Dutch film and a lot of fun) and “Bridget Jones”, but the lack of successful humor is obvious. The film is filled with privileged, successful, rich people, who nag a lot. And it gets on your nerves. With that, the story is super messy and there are too many subplots.
When it comes to romcom clichés, “Alles is Zoals het Zou Moeten Zijn” ticks a lot of boxes. A handsome yet caring love interest, a career driven woman with whom suddenly everything goes wrong, a group of friends that are supposed to be the funny note. And I have no problems with clichés, but they have to be done well. And here they just aren’t.  
A romcom with a bad script, a messy story, characters that you simply can’t relate too or empathize with. “Alles is Zoals het Zou Moeten Zijn”, is not a success and a complete waste of my time.

Rating: 1,5 / 5