Amsterdamned

Having unleashed a killer elevator on us in The Lift, Dick Maas here comes up with the authentically crazy notion of a psycho-diver. By prowling (paddling?) the hundreds of canals which traverse the Dutch capital, our wetsuit wacko easily escapes detection, and can engage concurrently in his two favourite sports: diving and murder. Much of the pleasure derives from the outrageous set pieces the film wrings from a familiar formula. Aside from the eccentric psychopath, we have the divorced cop and his obnoxious kid, the bungling sidekick, the blatantly obvious suspect, and the woman relegated to an 'ooh, aargh' role. Yet Maas has talent to burn: snappy dialogue (he wrote the screenplay); brooding Jaws-type atmospherics (and music); and stylish execution(s). Like Dario Argento's early slasher thrillers, as a murder mystery it is frankly naff (there is at least one red herring too many); but as a spectacle it is fascinatingly gruesome. Maas murder may not be to everyone's taste, but those who take to tomato ketchup with relish - this one's for you.