I am genuinely worried about whoever directed this movie or wrote it. I don't understand why you would want to go and make something like this. It's extremely bleak and depressing. I respect the actors a lot and sure the movie was pretty good overall. But it left me feeling very flat and it was a completely soulless experience. The main character was completely mad in my opinion, they should have been put in a lunatic asylum and throw away the key! He was a real nut job. I don't recommend going and seeing this on a date. Go and see it on a sunny day because you're going to need some sunshine after walking out of this film, it destroys your mind.
4 Reviews
Scandinavian beauty without a soul
bsiromahova25 October 2023
This movie left me feeling very confused. I re-played it in my head over and over to understand what is wrong with me, and be able to pinpoint what bothered me exactly. It is the juxtaposition between beautiful cinematography, great actors, and on the other side - a borderline pretentious script and extremely slow, unnerving, silently loud, yet empty, development of the story.
The long pauses, the recurring anti-climax vibe of each scene ultimately left me feeling emotionally drained. The main characters are unevenly developed, it was very difficult to get to their core, get to know them. Everything felt very "almost there" - the movie kept trying so hard to make a promise of a grand emotional awakening from empathising with the intensity of the plot - which simply did not happen - as intriguing as the plot had sounded, its execution was simply plain. The movie did not evoke any emotion in me, despite it being so visually stunning.
I felt tricked - like all these slow, zoomed in scenes were supposed to draw me in, make me feel empathetic, make me want to understand why all of this is happening.
In reality I kept seeing the recurring singular layer of an unhealthy level of mutual obsession, without giving the viewer any space to get to the "why". I would have enjoyed seeing the characters in a different setting, outside of their relationship - the movie portrayed them in a very one dimensional way.
Beautifully shot movie, and I applaud the selection and performance of the actors - but this is another proof that great cinematography and a strong cast cannot save a crippled story, desperate for development, and yet stuck at square one. I enjoy movies which make me think, question, empathise, not confused and frankly - bored.
The long pauses, the recurring anti-climax vibe of each scene ultimately left me feeling emotionally drained. The main characters are unevenly developed, it was very difficult to get to their core, get to know them. Everything felt very "almost there" - the movie kept trying so hard to make a promise of a grand emotional awakening from empathising with the intensity of the plot - which simply did not happen - as intriguing as the plot had sounded, its execution was simply plain. The movie did not evoke any emotion in me, despite it being so visually stunning.
I felt tricked - like all these slow, zoomed in scenes were supposed to draw me in, make me feel empathetic, make me want to understand why all of this is happening.
In reality I kept seeing the recurring singular layer of an unhealthy level of mutual obsession, without giving the viewer any space to get to the "why". I would have enjoyed seeing the characters in a different setting, outside of their relationship - the movie portrayed them in a very one dimensional way.
Beautifully shot movie, and I applaud the selection and performance of the actors - but this is another proof that great cinematography and a strong cast cannot save a crippled story, desperate for development, and yet stuck at square one. I enjoy movies which make me think, question, empathise, not confused and frankly - bored.
What is love? Baby, you hurt me
mattiasflgrtll68 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Sander meets a woman by the name of Ida when exiting a theater. They quickly fall in love and eventually move in together. But when Ida suddenly disappears Sander finds himself interrogated by her father.
This is a movie that's mainly a drama with thriller as more of a backdrop. The main focus is on Sander and Ida's relationship, and how it gradually falls to pieces. The way that it's written is different from many other films, in that we're never really sure of how much they feel for each other. Is this really love, or just a desperate search for happiness?
The ambivalence towards them as a couple is wellhanded throughout, as we get to witness how they may do each other more harm than good staying together. Sander is kind of an emotional black hole, where he might seem affectionate and caring but kinda treats Ida as his possession (exemplified by the scene where he in a bragging manner shows off nude photos of her to friends). His confession that he sometimes does nothing but stare at her for hours as she's listening to music is creepy more than it is cute. While Ida is suffering from some form of depression as she cuts off the entirety of her and Sander's own social life.
Jonas Holst Schmidt and Angela Bundalovic do good jobs at portraying these mysterious characters, keeping the audience on edge as we are waiting for the dagger that puts the final blow on their relationship. Zlatko Buric does an excellent job as the anguished father Porath as well, drawing attention to every pause and moment of silence as he interrogates Sander. He has proven to be a real force in acting, and I'm sorry I didn't discover him until just last year. Vilmer Trier Brøgger as Ida's brother Viktor doesn't have as much to do, but is solid for the material he gets.
Be prepared however that this is not a thriller meant to make you sweat or gnaw at your fingernails. The shock near the end is melancholy rather than cerebral in nature, which fits the melancholy tone of the story. There is also no closure, as Ida's father will never find out what truly happened to his daughter. Is that unsatisfying on some level? Absolutely. We want nothing more than for Porath to dig his claws into Sander for being the son of a bítch who murdered Ida. But it adds a depressing realism to the story, that some people are perfectly capable of getting away with horrific actions if the victim didn't have anyone they were close with.
In both Sander and Ida's case however, their issues ran much deeper than one single person could've solved. They didn't help each other from drowning. They drowned together instead.
As for minor flaws, the plot can feel a bit slow at times, where it's marinating for a while before picking up some steam again. And although I'm satisfied enough with what we got, Sander wasn't quite as well-developed as Ida. Why did he fall in love with her so quickly and passionately, to the point where he passively lets her ruin his social life? The latter part in particular is a bit unclear to me.
Eskil Vogt continues to prove himself as an interesting voice in modern cinema. If you're a fan of slowburn thrillers or his work in general, you'll want to visit Copenhagen while it still doesn't exist.
This is a movie that's mainly a drama with thriller as more of a backdrop. The main focus is on Sander and Ida's relationship, and how it gradually falls to pieces. The way that it's written is different from many other films, in that we're never really sure of how much they feel for each other. Is this really love, or just a desperate search for happiness?
The ambivalence towards them as a couple is wellhanded throughout, as we get to witness how they may do each other more harm than good staying together. Sander is kind of an emotional black hole, where he might seem affectionate and caring but kinda treats Ida as his possession (exemplified by the scene where he in a bragging manner shows off nude photos of her to friends). His confession that he sometimes does nothing but stare at her for hours as she's listening to music is creepy more than it is cute. While Ida is suffering from some form of depression as she cuts off the entirety of her and Sander's own social life.
Jonas Holst Schmidt and Angela Bundalovic do good jobs at portraying these mysterious characters, keeping the audience on edge as we are waiting for the dagger that puts the final blow on their relationship. Zlatko Buric does an excellent job as the anguished father Porath as well, drawing attention to every pause and moment of silence as he interrogates Sander. He has proven to be a real force in acting, and I'm sorry I didn't discover him until just last year. Vilmer Trier Brøgger as Ida's brother Viktor doesn't have as much to do, but is solid for the material he gets.
Be prepared however that this is not a thriller meant to make you sweat or gnaw at your fingernails. The shock near the end is melancholy rather than cerebral in nature, which fits the melancholy tone of the story. There is also no closure, as Ida's father will never find out what truly happened to his daughter. Is that unsatisfying on some level? Absolutely. We want nothing more than for Porath to dig his claws into Sander for being the son of a bítch who murdered Ida. But it adds a depressing realism to the story, that some people are perfectly capable of getting away with horrific actions if the victim didn't have anyone they were close with.
In both Sander and Ida's case however, their issues ran much deeper than one single person could've solved. They didn't help each other from drowning. They drowned together instead.
As for minor flaws, the plot can feel a bit slow at times, where it's marinating for a while before picking up some steam again. And although I'm satisfied enough with what we got, Sander wasn't quite as well-developed as Ida. Why did he fall in love with her so quickly and passionately, to the point where he passively lets her ruin his social life? The latter part in particular is a bit unclear to me.
Eskil Vogt continues to prove himself as an interesting voice in modern cinema. If you're a fan of slowburn thrillers or his work in general, you'll want to visit Copenhagen while it still doesn't exist.
A real poem
istudy125 October 2023
Beyond my expectations. A trully inspiring film filled with lyricism , directed by the very promising Martin Skovbjerg. The atmosphere is so aesthetic. The landscape choice is the best it could be. The soundtrack gives you goosebumps. The acting is an apolacypsis too. We watched it as a chosen film at the Athens Film Festival. Wish such films were widely played. Beyond words.. Totally worths watching it ; totally worths winning more festival awards. This film may hold you tight , it may even steal your heart forever. Kuddos to all producers. Such a wonderful result, such a dreamy piece of art.
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