Antibodies is a dark and atmospheric psychological thriller that grabs you by the throat and simply refuses to let go. When country cop Martens hears that an infamous paedophile and serial killer has finally been caught after six years on the loose, he cannot resist the temptation to travel to the big city to confront the prisoner – and his own darkest fears. For Martens’ obsession runs deep: over a year earlier, a young girl was murdered in his village and he cannot rest, cannot forgive himself, until he is certain that the killer has been captured. But in this murky, violent world, redemption doesn’t come cheap. As Martens begins to unravel the killer’s pattern, he unwittingly becomes drawn into a deadly mind game where manipulation is the norm and the stakes are murderously high. Like a satisfying jigsaw puzzle, the film’s flashback-laden plot ratchets up the suspense, piling clues upon secrets upon revelations until the final climactic twist. Blending striking performances with slick cinematography, this gripping neo-noir detective drama owes much to films such as Seven, Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs. The genre staples are there – urban setting, game-playing serial killer, cop on the edge – but Antibodies is not just about death and gore. Creating a fresh and disturbing vision all of its own, it peers intensely, uncompromisingly, at the dark side of human nature. JG
