And then there was the thriller Amsterdamned, in 1988. In it, a deranged scuba diver murders people at random, and the Amsterdam canals are his base. A VERY 1980s macho detective is chasing the killer, bending rules and destroying property where necessary, in a race against time before more people get killed by the maniac. For the non-Dutch, this may just be a fun serial killer thriller with a different backdrop (I've seen it lumped in with gialli even) but don't underestimate the impact it had locally when it arrived. This was the not-so-little film that could. It brought an actual American-style action thriller to the Netherlands, including speedboat chases, car chases, huge explosions, gunfights, shock effects, the works. There were only just over 14 million people in the Netherlands at the time, most of which favored television over cinemas, a customer base which in no way could recoup the huge cost of the film. Subsidies, trust in foreign sales and banking on the huge, HUGE home video market (rented videotapes at the time) made it a success anyway. It helped that the film, while lacking in logic occasionally, was really thrilling. It also, like The Lift, contained some of the best jumpscares of all time.
In Amsterdamned II, detective Eric Visser is somewhat happily retired and living in a village, as far away from Amsterdam as you can get in the Netherlands. But a string of murders, accompanied by worried calls from some ex-colleagues, lure Eric back to the big city. There are similarities with the previous "Amsterdamned" case back in 1987, and people assume a copycat. That is, until new evidence shows that the previous kills maybe weren't as solved as everyone suspected back in the eighties. Is Amsterdam being terrorized by the same (by now VERY old) scuba diver? Or is it a centuries-old mythical monster, as some professor theorizes? Tara, the young current detective on the case, isn't thrilled by weird theories, and also not happy to see the "legendary" Eric popping up, possibly spoiling her investigation. But when the two sleuths start finding different clues and keep running into each other, a mutual respect starts to grow. Working together, can they catch the killer.... and hopefully for REAL this time?
Oscillating between straight rehash and a critical look at the original, Amsterdamned II is doing a weird split. It's more sober than its predecessor, yet more wild in places. It pokes fun at left-wing ideas, then at right-wing ideas. The story intentionally lacks depth yet feels convoluted at the end. Maas relentlessly pokes fun at its location, showing Amsterdam as an old city overcrowded by tourists, decadent and decrepit, rotting, polluted and stinking. While at the same time, love for Amsterdam pours from every scene. If Maas had problems back in 1987 with overhead shots because helicopter flights were strictly forbidden above the city's old center, this time he can play with drones all he wants, and he uses that power to shoot the capital at its prettiest. In the highest resolution too, as Amsterdamned II is the first Dutch film made for IMAX. But all that cannot hide that we're watching... well, a second Amsterdamned. And now that we've had speedboat chases in Amsterdam in a few other films as well, that isn't new any more.
What DOES feel fresh, oddly enough, is Huub Stapel reprising his role as Eric Visser. That character was played as a caricature in the original, basically as what a twelve-year-old would think a tough cop in the eighties would be like. Maas never went for realism there, the stereotype was sufficient for what he wanted to achieve back then. But in Amsterdamned II, Eric is an older, quieter man, filled with doubt if his laurels were actually earned, while still pretty no-nonsense about everything. Stapel is in great form here, effortlessly funny too, resembling Simon Pegg at times. And the chemistry with Holly Mae Brood, who plays the new detective Tara, is there, thankfully without a romance angle. Maas is having fun with the two main characters and it makes the film a lot more memorable than the action.
Did I need another Amsterdamned, or want one? No. Am I glad for having seen it? Yes! Dick Maas makes films to entertain, and loathes hidden agendas or deeper meanings. He famously is known for saying "Boodschappen doe je bij de Albert Heijn" which roughly translates, meaning-wise, to "If you want messages, listen to your voicemail". That attitude has not changed with Amsterdamned II, the film is unapologetically going for thrills and gory horror. But Stapel and Brood never make it feel too shallow. I was entertained, at times thrilled, and felt invested in the fate of the main characters. And yes, in a film like this, that is enough.
Amsterdamned II is currently in Dutch cinemas.