BLOOD & SPLENDOUR

Three words describe the state of Scandinavian cinema today, gritty, uncompromising, and original. Easy Money is the latest in a long line of highly accomplished hardboiled crime thrillers to drag itself out of the depraved depths of Europe’s criminal underbelly. Presented by cinematic crime lord Martin Scorsese and directed by Daniel Espinosa, the filmmaker responsible for Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington’s frenetic conspiracy picture, Safe House, Easy Money is an equally impactful ride. Starring the future Robocop, Joel Kinnaman, as Johan “JW” Westlund, this adaptation of Jens Lapidus’ bestselling novel follows “JW” as he supplements a double life between the debauched city streets and Stockholm’s upper-class grandeur by selling cocaine. Unsurprisingly becoming a gun-toting drug dealer presents some pitfalls, including a new friendship group of Sweden’s most ruthless individuals. Framing its parallel storylines with stunning cinematography, Easy Money’s haunting depiction of criminality’s seductive lure reveals that where beauty is prized and excess is honoured, loyalties are bought, and as JW will discover, sold just as quickly. Lovers of Headhunters, The Millennium Trilogy, and The Killing, rest assured Easy Money is your next big fix.