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A Dive into Darkness: Brighton Rock

Ah, the bleak beauty of “Brighton Rock”! Have you seen this flick? If not, you should definitely put it on your list. Based on Graham Greene’s novel, this one throws you right into the gritty gangster world of 1960s Brighton. You can’t help but shiver a bit, maybe not from cold, but from all that palpable tension.

Sam Riley, the actor who plays our delightfully sinister protagonist, Pinkie Brown, oozes the kind of menace that reminds me of that time my cousin Göran borrowed my bike and returned it with a flat tyre. He was only fourteen but he had that same look in his eye. Then there’s Andrea Riseborough as Rose, the naive waitress, gives the kind of performance that makes you want to shout at the screen—like, “What are you doing? Don’t go with him!” But alas, characters in films rarely listen, do they?

The direction by Rowan Joffé feels like an old friend telling you a dark secret over fika. You’re drawn in, even though you know it’s not going to end well. The cinematography, with all those rain-soaked streets and shadowy pier shots, it’s like you’re right there in Brighton, feeling the mist and tasting the salt in the air. But honestly, I’d probably rather have a kanelbulle and coffee in a cozy Swedish café than wander through Pinkie’s dark adventures.

Of course, there’s that unexpected comfort of nostalgia. The film’s soundtrack, with its old tunes, took me back to listening to my grandparents’ LPs on a chilly winter’s day in Skåne. But, I can’t help but feel the film’s pacing, at times, is a bit like waiting for the summer in Sweden—endlessly dragging and not quite satisfying.

Still, “Brighton Rock” is a trip worth taking. Is it perfect? Nah. But life’s not perfect either, right? It reminds us how easy it is to get caught in struggles of identity, loyalty, and love feeling more like traps than blessings. Just don’t watch it expecting a light watch—this is more like picking a Silltårta when you’re in the mood for Prinsesstårta. Rich, layered, but not for the faint-hearted.

Check the trailer below

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