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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallColors of Evil: Red is a Polish crime thriller about a young woman found dead on a Tricity beach—and the older unsolved murder her death may echo. Prosecutor Leopold Bilski and the victim’s mother, Judge Helena Bogucka, follow the connection into a seaside nightclub and the local underworld.
Colors of Evil: Red (Kolory zła: Czerwień) is a Polish crime thriller about a young woman found dead on a beach in the Tricity area—and the older unsolved murder her death may echo. Prosecutor Leopold Bilski and the victim’s mother, Judge Helena Bogucka, pursue the connection through a seaside nightclub and a criminal network that would rather keep the past buried.
Released on Netflix on May 29, 2024, Adrian Panek’s film is a fictional adaptation of Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s crime novel Czerwień. It is not a true-crime film or a documentary, but its grim coastal setting, procedural investigation, family grief, and organized-crime storyline make it a strong fit for viewers who like atmospheric European mysteries.
What is Colors of Evil: Red about?
Monika Bogucki’s body washes ashore on a beach in Poland’s Tricity—the metropolitan coastal area associated with Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot. The case initially appears to be a devastating but self-contained murder. Prosecutor Leopold Bilski, however, notices similarities to an older cold case and continues investigating despite resistance from his supervisor.
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His most important ally is Helena Bogucka, Monika’s mother. Helena is also a judge, but her professional experience does not make the loss of her daughter easier to bear. Together, Bilski and Helena follow the trail toward a seaside nightclub, Monika’s workplace, and the local underworld connected to it.
The film’s promotional material emphasizes misleading clues and a surprising resolution. For that reason, this overview avoids naming the killer or explaining the final reversal.
Is Colors of Evil: Red based on a true story?
No. Netflix identifies Colors of Evil: Red as fictional. The film is based on Czerwień, the first novel in Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s Colors of Evil crime series.
The novel is rooted in the Polish coastal setting that the film uses so effectively. Storybox’s description of the book begins with a body arriving near Sopot and presents a murder mystery involving a possible connection to an earlier crime—or a copycat. The source material is therefore a crime novel rather than a reconstruction of a documented case. Publisher descriptions also highlight the Tri-City milieu, organized crime, lawyers, and doctors, all of which help explain the film’s broader social world.
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Release date, runtime, language, and credits
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Original title | Kolory zła: Czerwień |
| Release date | May 29, 2024, on Netflix |
| Country and original language | Poland; Polish |
| Genre | Crime, drama, mystery, and thriller |
| Director | Adrian Panek |
| Screenplay | Łukasz M. Maciejewski and Adrian Panek |
| Production company | Aurum Film |
| Classification | TV-MA on Netflix |
| Runtime | Approximately 1 hour 53 minutes on Netflix; Rotten Tomatoes lists 1 hour 51 minutes |
The two listed runtimes appear to be a cataloging discrepancy, so it is more accurate to describe the film as roughly 1 hour 52 minutes long than to present either figure as exact.
Cast and characters
- Jakub Gierszał as Leopold Bilski: An ambitious prosecutor who sees the relationship between Monika’s death and the older murder.
- Maja Ostaszewska as Helena Bogucka: Monika’s mother, a judge, and Bilski’s determined partner in the search for answers.
- Zofia Jastrzębska as Monika Bogucka: The murdered young woman whose death sets the story in motion. Netflix describes her as a bartender.
- Wojciech Zieliński as Waldemar Mila: Monika’s boss.
- Andrzej Zieliński as Roman Bogucki: Monika’s father and Helena’s husband.
- Andrzej Konopka as Tadeusz Dubiela: A medical examiner.
- Jan Wieteska as Mario Dubiela: Tadeusz Dubiela’s son.
- Przemysław Bluszcz as Kazar/Łukasz Kazarski: A gangster. The character’s name is rendered differently in some cataloging material, so subtitle or official-credit spelling may vary.
What makes the film different from a standard detective story?
The investigation is only one layer of Colors of Evil: Red. The film also follows a mother attempting to understand the violent death of her daughter, a prosecutor pushing against institutional resistance, and a community in which nightlife, money, and organized crime overlap.
That combination gives the story a distinctly coastal-noir atmosphere. The beach is not merely an opening location: the sea, gray weather, nightclub economy, and isolated shoreline create a setting where public respectability and hidden criminal activity exist close together. The result is less a courtroom drama than a bleak investigation shaped by grief and local power.
How does the movie compare with the book?
The film adapts Sobczak’s Czerwień, the first entry in the Colors of Evil series. The adaptation retains the central premise: a murder near the Polish coast, a possible link to an older crime, and an investigation that exposes the darker side of the Tri-City environment.
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The book is particularly relevant for readers who want more of the setting and investigative background. Storybox documents Polish-language audiobook and CD editions of Kolory zła. Czerwień. Availability, language, edition, and marketplace stock should be checked before purchase, especially for readers outside Poland. If you want to compare the adaptation with its source, the Kolory zła: Czerwień source novel is the natural place to begin.
This film review does not attempt to list every adaptation change. A reliable scene-by-scene comparison would require checking both the film and a specific edition or translation of the novel.
Reception: atmospheric, but not universally praised
Critical reaction has been mixed in a revealing way. Rotten Tomatoes’ latest listed figures give the film an 80% Tomatometer score from only five critic reviews, alongside a 54% audience score from more than 100 ratings. The critic sample is too small to treat the percentage as a definitive consensus.
The positive response tends to focus on the film’s tension, performances, editing, vivid score, and emotional subject matter. Jakub Gierszał and Maja Ostaszewska provide the central contrast the story needs: Bilski brings investigative persistence, while Helena gives the case its personal and emotional force.
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The reservations concern the mystery’s construction. Some reviewers found the plot predictable, felt that certain twists were telegraphed too early, or argued that the film’s logic and character motivations become less convincing toward the end. In other words, the film’s atmosphere and performances may carry viewers through places where the procedural explanation feels familiar or overextended.
Is Colors of Evil: Red worth watching?
Watch it if you want:
- a dark Polish crime thriller rather than a light whodunit;
- a coastal setting with a strong sense of place;
- a story combining police investigation, organized crime, and family grief;
- performances led by Jakub Gierszał and Maja Ostaszewska;
- a mystery that is more interested in atmosphere and emotional damage than in a perfectly airtight puzzle.
Approach it cautiously if you need:
- a wholly unpredictable series of revelations;
- strictly consistent procedural logic;
- fully developed explanations for every character decision by the finale.
The fairest verdict is that Colors of Evil: Red is a watchable, brooding, emotionally grounded crime film whose coastal atmosphere and central performances are stronger than its less convincing late-stage plotting. It is best approached as Polish noir with a family tragedy at its center, not as a flawlessly engineered puzzle mystery.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you watch it?
Colors of Evil: Red premiered as a Netflix film on May 29, 2024. Catalog availability can vary by country and can change over time, so check the Netflix listing for your region for current access, subtitles, dubbing, and age-rating information.
What to watch after Colors of Evil: Red
The story has a direct continuation in Colors Of Evil: Black, a separate 2026 Polish mystery-thriller film. Netflix describes it as the next chapter in the crime saga adapted from Sobczak’s novels, with Jakub Gierszał returning as Leopold Bilski.
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In Black, Bilski has moved to a small town in Kashubia. A missing boy leads him toward connections with an older missing-persons case. It is therefore a sequel film—not a second season—and the premise shifts from the beach murder at the center of Red to a new investigation while retaining Bilski as the link between the stories. Check Netflix for the current regional release and streaming status of Colors Of Evil: Black.
Sources and verification notes
The factual details above are based on Netflix Tudum, Netflix Media Center, About Netflix Poland, Rotten Tomatoes, Storybox’s product information, and publisher-side rights material from G.W. Foksal. Netflix’s English and Polish materials give different estimates for how long ago the older murder occurred—variously described as approximately 15, 17, or 20 years—so this article calls it an older cold case rather than assigning it a precise interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colors of Evil: Red based on a true story?
No. Netflix identifies Colors of Evil: Red as a fictional crime thriller. It is adapted from Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s crime novel Czerwień, the first book in the Colors of Evil series.
Where can I watch Colors of Evil: Red?
The film premiered on Netflix on May 29, 2024. Regional availability, subtitles, dubbing, and classification can change, so check the Netflix catalog for your country.
Is there a sequel to Colors of Evil: Red?
Yes. Colors Of Evil: Black is a separate 2026 Polish mystery-thriller film and the next chapter in the crime saga. It is not a second season. Jakub Gierszał returns as Leopold Bilski.
What book is Colors of Evil: Red based on?
The film is adapted from Czerwień, the first novel in Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s Colors of Evil series. Storybox documents Polish-language audiobook and CD editions, but readers should verify the edition and availability in their market.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Colors of Evil: Red is a bleak, atmospheric Polish crime thriller with an effective coastal setting and strong central performances. Its emotional investigation is more compelling than its occasionally predictable and overextended procedural plotting. It is fictional, adapted from the novel Czerwień, and followed by the separate 2026 film Colors Of Evil: Black.
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