Norway

THE QUAKE: Suffers From Sequelitis
THE QUAKE: Suffers From Sequelitis

The Quake repeats a lot of the same beats from The Wave, assuming it’ll be another sure-fire success – but it leads to a mild case of sequelitis.

Hurry Slowly: A Low Stakes Slice of Life for a Fast-Paced World
HURRY SLOWLY: A Low Stakes Slice Of Life For A Fast-Paced World

The Norwegian drama Hurry Slowly is a peaceful, slow paced family drama which remains inviting despite its low narrative stakes.

22 JULY: Exploring Life After Tragedy In Norway
22 JULY: Exploring Life After Tragedy In Norway

22 July begins as an urgent and devastating film, before suddenly turning into a never-ending slog, destined to leave viewers wondering where things went wrong.

U - JULY 22: Frustrating Portrayal of a Harrowing Terrorist Atrocity
U – JULY 22: Frustrating Portrayal Of A Harrowing Terrorist Atrocity

For all its faults, U – July 22 attempts to throw the viewer into an unimaginable situation instead of passively retelling it is worth celebrating, even if it doesn’t fully achieve its immersive aim.

REVENGE: An Intriguing But Uneven Scandinavian Thriller

Despite its strong beginning and its tangled plot and hard-to-ignore plot holes, the Norwegian thriller Revenge is an enjoyable film.

Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival 2018 Report

AlexLines reports on the films he was able to see during the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival, including a coming-of-age film and a gripping biographical drama.

VIDAR THE VAMPIRE: An Misogynistic Affront to Decent Humanity
VIDAR THE VAMPIRE: A Misogynistic Affront To Decent Humanity

Vidar the Vampire shows the lack of change within the filmmaking community in regards to the portrayal of women on screen and further proves the necessity of the #MeToo movement.

THELMA: The Horror – And The Power – Of Finding Yourself

Thelma is an otherworldly take on the coming-of-age film, telling the story of a girl starting college and discovering herself in the process.

WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY: Caught In A Cultural Crossfire
WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY: Caught In A Cultural Crossfire (#TIFF)

What Will People Say is a brutal yet powerful study of the effects of subjugation on a young woman in a highly patriarchal society.

Pioneer
PIONEER: 20,000 Lies Under The Sea

According to my personal checklist, the extent to which a film can affect a viewer is a mark of its quality. Pioneer must have done something right, because it absolutely wrecked my sense of calm. A full 24 hours after watching director Erik Skjoldbjærg’s thriller for the first time, I still find myself feeling strangely uneasy – stealing glances over my shoulder, eyeing my friends and family with icy distrust…I even threw out a plate of unattended food on the off chance it had been poisoned by the shady agents of a deep-sea drilling conglomerate.