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★★★★
Directed by: #CeciliaVerheyden
Written by: #NicoMoolenaar, #BartUytdenhouwen
Starring: ##FrankLammers, #EliseSchaap
Ruthless drug worker, Ferry Bouman (Lammers), returns to his hometown of Brabant on a revenge mission after his group are attacked by robbers, only to have his loyalties tested when he finds new love in the beautiful Danielle (Schaap).
Ferry (2021) is a Dutch crime drama following the fictional gangster and acts as a prequel film to the popular crime series Undercover (2019). This gritty, slow burn thriller was made available to stream through Netflix from May 14th and makes for an entertaining watch with an effective character study and small bursts of thrilling suspense and action.
The dark opening introduces us to Ferry as a child, where we learn of his physically abusive father, which is followed up by snappy and energetic editing as we catch up with Ferry’s involvement in crime and the drug trade. The film stimulates an intriguing mystery when a group of unidentified violent robbers attack the group, with the son of Ferry’s boss, Brink (Huub Stapel), being mortally wounded and setting the rest of the plot’s events in motion as Ferry is sent to avenge his death. Although the narrative is somewhat predictable with Ferry eventually falling for a girl and coming to terms with his bad choices, the journey there is nevertheless effective as great performances and solid direction keep things feeling sharp and engaging.
The film orchestrates thrilling sequences of suspense, executed through precise editing and camerawork which make up for the lack of action throughout the middle act. This is by no means a negative, as the slow pacing allows the film to focus on developing Ferry as a sympathetic and likeable lead, as well as his relationship with Danielle. There are also nicely shot sequences which are lighter in tone, such as when Ferry and Danielle take ecstasy together, leading to a hallucinogenic montage with shallow focus and extreme close ups to demonstrate their state of delusion.
Frank Lammers delivers a wonderful well rounded performance as Ferry. He has won seven awards in the past for his acting contributions and he manages to balance the threatening, intimidating force of nature with a down to earth, relatable and reserved man very well. His humanity and soft side are gradually revealed when he meets Danielle and rekindles with his past and Elise Schaap captures the sense of the beauty to Ferry’s beast well. There is a powerful scene where he leaves Danielle to return to his boss and he breaks down in tears once he realises he has developed strong feelings for her. There is also a compelling ongoing theme of Ferry fearing he will become like his father, with his drug taking, excessive drinking and tendency to rely on violence threatening to overtake him.
Ferry may not be the most original criminal redemption story, but this does not diminish Lammers’ strong performance and character development, or the sharp direction and solid entertainment factor.
Ferry (2021) Film Trailer:
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