It may be a bit early to declare it the best film of the year already.
But it will take a lot to top the Swedish The Dog, filmed on location in Mombasa.
Alexander Karim is absolutely brilliant and gives perhaps the best role of his life as Montezuma, known as "MZ" - a petty criminal in Mombasa's ruthless underworld who peddles drugs and collects debts. His job also consists of driving the luxury escort Kadzo (Caroline Muthoni) to and from her clients - and disciplining the men he thinks are crossing the line. MZ makes the mistake of falling in love with Kadzo and trying to save her, even though she doesn't want to give up her self-chosen life.
MZ starts to make a plan - he wants to flee abroad with Kadzo and start a new and better life, far from the hectic and corrupt gangster life in Kenya's second largest city.
But for that, more money is needed.
MZ starts dealing drugs on his own, but it quickly goes downhill.
With a debt to his boss, the hard-nosed Lady Boss Saddam (Caroline Midimo), MZ suddenly puts his own life on the line.
The Dog is a violent, raw and bloody, but gripping and emotionally charged neo-noir, directed with a finely tuned, but resolute hand by Baker Karim who also co-wrote the screenplay. A horrific, fascinating and ominous captivating film that lands somewhere between classics like Taxi Driver (1976) and Pusher (1996).
In short, The Dog is modern masterpiece.
It´s a film that´s painful to watch - in many ways.
One shock scene in particular will be talked about and caused several of the male visitors to the sneak preview during Monsters of Film in March to turn their eyes away in a cold sweat.
The film premiers in Sweden on August 22.
