Good Cop leaves no room for doubt or nuance: the male protagonist is a stupid jerk ★★☆☆☆

But what kind of clothes did you actually wear? That’s what agent Michael asks in youth performance Good Cop (14+) to a suspected rape victim. A typical example victim blaming† She must have provoked it. His colleagues won’t let him get away with it.

Good Cop is from Toneelgroep Oostpool and Theater Sonnevanck. Players and audience sit in a converted trailer, with which the theater makers drive past schools to tell this story about ‘toxic masculinity’ to students. Why is it often thought that ‘a real man’ is tough, never cries and always in charge? How harmful can such a distorted self-image sometimes be? Well, very damaging, it turns out. In that respect, the performance leaves no room for doubt or nuance. It’s made of thick wood.

Director Daniël van Klaveren edited the script of the exciting Danish film the skyltige, recently seen in a theater adaptation with Daniël Boissevain. We see Officer Michael (Stefan Cappiello), who works in the 911 emergency center. He gets on the phone with a girl who is apparently kidnapped. From his spot, using only the phone as a weapon, he must rescue her. But there appears to be more going on. Michael must put his prejudices aside to survive.

There is little to no empathy, that is the problem. This Michael is unbearable from the start. He intimidates his colleagues, he talks derogatoryly about everything and he screams all the time. When his trauma is finally explained, it is already too late. This man is a stupid jerk. There is not much more to get here.