Fatal Crossing - 2023 - Norway

Fatal Crossing - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - Pigerne fra Englandsbåden

 
Disgraced following a sex scandal, journalist Nora is placed on leave.
She returns to her childhood home, where she is not exactly flavor of the month.
Nora is unpleasant and meddlesome.
To keep occupied, she starts digging into a decades old abduction of two girls.
(Thought: no way police would cooperate of allow the access she has.)
Midway, the narrative pivots, new characters arrive.  Trying to juice interest.
Arresting premise, moody Scandinavian Noir, desperately needs an editor.
Striving for tension, scenes are lingered over much too long.

Beforeigners - 2019 - Norway

Beforeigners - 2019 - 6/10

 
Time travel hopefuls, this is an imaginative entry.
Beforeigners are those who have time-slipped into modern Oslo.
From the Stone Age, the Viking era, and the late 19th Century.
One of the transplants, a Viking shield maid, now a detective, works with an inspector on cases.
Crimes are committed by and against the newcomers, and more arrivals increase social unease and resentment.
Concepts and threads are off-the-scale throughout.
At times, too much so, as narratives and characters ofttimes simply disappear.
Second season introduces King Olaf I, Jack The Ripper, and – wait for it – from Asgard, Odin!
Creators are bursting with ideas, but an overall lack of focus hurts.
S03, which would supposedly conclude the series, seems abandoned.

Sult - 2018 - Norway

Sult - 2018 - 6/10

 
Predator and prey flirt in wordless horror short.
Seduction, rejection, lingering malice.
Unnamed characters, means you will have to work out events on the fly.
Drinks always taste better when they’re free.

The Hunger - 2017 - Norway

The Hunger - 2017 - 6/10
AKA - Gutten er Sulten

 
Everyone wants to be noticed.
Jørgen is envious of the bad boys, but he is too scrawny, too poor to gain acceptance.
Maybe Lucifer tattoos, even with a marker, will confirm intent.
If nothing else, visit the lair.

 
Bruising short of alienated youth, the rage of dissatisfaction.
For those for whom all the worldly trophies cannot equate with oblivion.

From Beyond - 2023 - Norway

From Beyond - 2023 - 7/10

 
Extraterrestrials arrive on Earth.  Accident, scouting, invasion?
Perspectives move from human observers to alien point of view.
Of course, know-it-all humans begin laboratory experiments.
While others, perhaps emulating Captain Kirk, share intimate relations with the newcomers.
Then, almost overnight, these new things seem to be overrunning the planet.
SciFi short from Norway blends found footage, newsreels, interviews, and is a mix of unexpected and bizarre.

Sick Of Myself - 2022 - Norway

Sick Of Myself - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Syk Pike

 
Self-preening in the age of narcissism.
Some bleat that “look at me” is unique to our current era.  Au contraire.
Narcissists are older than Gyges.  Signe and boyfriend Thomas continue an endless line.
Thomas is an up-and-coming hot artist, whose “sculptures” are from stolen items.
Signe is an attention wannabee.  She embellishes, deceives, fabricates.
Not enough to sustain interest, however, as she discovers.
Until she physically disfigures herself, then lying that hers is a rare disease.
My anger at these social failures soon gave way to laugh out laughter.
Very black comedy about one of the countless societal diseases afflicting our species.

The Tunnel - 2016 - Norway

The Tunnel - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - Tunnelen

 
Outside the yawning entrance, graffiti screams,  “Close the Death Tunnels.”
Do travelers care?  They are returning from the beach.  The planet is overpopulated.
How should one reduce numbers without discrimination?
Anxiety ridden SciFi short on ones Fate in the ever swelling tide.
RIP, Thomas Malthus (1766 - 1834), your theories grow more prophetic by the year.

War Sailor - 2023 - Norway

War Sailor - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - Krigsseileren

 
Ship’s cook Alfred is in the middle of the Atlantic when World War II breaks out.
Home country Norway had declared neutrality before the conflict, yet Nazis quickly occupy the nation.
Alfred and friend Sigbjørn work on merchant ships supplying England, and witness incredible losses.
Three part series offers glimpses of the homeland, underscoring the chaos and poor communication.
Two installments are seagoing, full of tension and at times carnage.
Finale is post war adjustments, bearing scars to the grave.
If wondering, this is not Hollywood.

Lake Of The Dead - 1958 - Norway

Lake Of The Dead - 1958 - 7/10
AKA - De Dødes Tjern

 
Years earlier, the man who lived here murdered his sister, her fiancée  then committed suicide.,  
Now, every anniversary of that time, the man’s ghost takes possession of whoever is in the cabin.
And they commit suicide.  Or so the story goes, says the local sheriff.
Telling the six arrivals who are spending a few days at the cabin, just as the anniversary approaches.
Legends and superstition, snort the city folk.  Until … well … they had been warned.
Taut mystery shifts from supernatural to psychological to Gothic.
The camera roves back and forth, like a shell game, keeping viewers in the dark.
Subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/de-ddes-tjern/english/2888198

The Heavy Water Wars - 2016 - Norway

The Heavy Water Wars - 2016 - 7/10
AKA - Kampen Om Tungtvannet

Norway gets occupied by Germany during World War II.
One of the factories the Reich is keenly interested in is Norsk Hydro, where they make fertilizer, ammonia.
Especially the by-product, heavy water.

 
Story relayed from four points of view:
The Nazis, British Intelligence, Norwegian Resistance, and Norsk Hydro management.  The latter understood the huge profits to be made, plus they were keeping employees working.
Lavish production values, sumptuous sets (early on, worse as war prolongs).
Main threads  follow the experiments race and the sabotage.
While this series boasts strong ratings, sabotage is not necessarily action.
Sabotage involves stealth, subterfuge, and invariably silence.
That may be challenging to the viewer demanding gun battles, fistfights, explosions, superheroes.
There are also several languages, meaning subtitles.  γνῶθι σεαυτόν

 
Outstanding historical war drama for adults.
Note:  For action diehards, Michael Bay has announced intent to film his version of this.
Tentative title - “Sabotage: A Genius Scientist, His Band of Young Commandos, and the Mission to Kill Hitler's Super Bomb”
Expect stylistic differences, explosive action, superheroics, loud Bay trademarks.

Bothersome Man - 2006 - Norway

Bothersome Man - 2006 - 7/10
AKA - Den Brysomme Mannen

 
Norwegian parable.
Office drone wakes up on bus roaring down oblivion highway.
He is dumped at a shack, then ferried to his new city, new apartment, new job.
Everyone is cheery, friendly, and work duties are undemanding.
Bonus, he lands a girlfriend who is agreeable and willing.
Sound like Paradise to you?  Yeah, well, some types are never happy with their lot.
The new man is dissatisfied.  He cannot pinpoint what his problem is with Eden, but he wants something else.
And he gradually makes everyone around him uncomfortable.
Well thought out visuals, maddening dialogue, and steady pace as the reveal unfolds.

Troll Hunter - 2010 - Norway

Troll Hunter - 2010 - 6/10

 
Someone is killing bears in Norway.  Only specific hunters are granted a license, and they suspect illegal poaching.
One van in particular which is battered all to hell and reeks of stench, draws their gaze.
College students, filming a documentary, pick up on the whispers and begin to trail the van and its bearded, unfriendly occupant.
The deeper into forests they drive, the more secrets and legends they uncover.

Generally, I dislike “found footage” films.  Lazy filmmaking.  Boring pace, ignorant (read stupid) characters, less than amateurish photography.
None of those flaws apply here.
The narrative moves along, lingering to explain as needed.  Student filmmakers seem normal, not stereotyped templates.  Moreover, main character Hans, the hunter, is focused and decisive.  He always knows where he is going and why.  Finally, the cinematography is well done.  Troll Hunter resembles an actual documentary, rather than spit and paste slapdash.

I can’t quite label this a Horror film, those seeking frights and chills will be disappointed.
Good popcorn movie, nonetheless.

Monster - 2017 - Norway

Monster - 2017 - 7/10

 
Another teenage girl disappears in remote north of Norway.
Local authorities receive unasked for help from Oslo.
Big city cops, with heavy handed technique.
Eventually, they find a body - the first of many - in an open field.
Soon a dozen corpses are unearthed in the same expanse, revealing a large maze-like pattern filled with bodies and bones going back hundreds of years.
Multiple threads quilt this series:  A religious sect, with roots in early Christian, a smuggling gang, a town history of incinerations and infidelities.  Secrets cling to almost  every character.
This being a TV show, secrets shall be exposed.
Not all, however, as many elements remain baffling, at least to this outsider.
I imagine Scandinavians would shrug and say, "Oh, polar night, sure," along with other curiosities.
At seven episodes (that conclude!) this is easy to watch without a major time commitment.

The Wave - 2015

The Wave - 2015 - 6/10
AKA - Bølgen

 
Why, oh why, do developers place resorts and posh hotels in the path of potential catastrophe?
Turistas, of course!  They demand exclusive.  And what’s more exclusive than a hideous way to die?
Anyway, the head seismologist is leaving, accepting a high paid gig with oil tycoons in Stockholm.
Then, the day of departure, that unstable fissure in the mountain shows signs of greater instability.
Instead of saying,  “Whoa, I’ll send you guys a postcard,”  the geologist stays.
Because if the mountain flank shears off,  there will be a tidal wave in the fjord.
Top production values, typical of disaster genre.

Bloodride - 2020 - Norway

Bloodride - 2020 - 6/10

 
Six part horror omnibus from Norway.  Each episode thirty minutes.
A family, new to the hamlet, discovers prosperity can be bartered for.
One’s perfect life, a girl realizes, can be ruined by a petty scribbler.

 
As with most anthologies, quality varies, with the bookends being the strongest.
The new teacher, open and enthusiastic, starts digging into a buried mystery.
Then there’s the office party.  My God! in any country, these are insufferable.
Bad enough we have to work with these people, but get drunk with them?  Please.
Oh, did I say office party from Hell?

The Art Of Negative Thinking - 2006 - Norway

The Art Of Negative Thinking - 2006 - 6/10
AKA - Kunsten åtenke Negativt

 
Weekly, monthly meeting of paraplegic support group arrives at home of newest member.
Much to his resentment, resistance, and dismissive scorn.
They are, indeed, a bubbly mix with their optimistic credos and motorized wheelchairs.
Viewers might be forgiven for hating them almost as quickly as the infuriated homeowner does.
They roll in anyway, and he immediately begins to shred the smiling facades.
Black comedy holds back way too much.
Feels like a play, stage bound and talky.  (Note: on the boards in 2010)
Yeah, what was I expecting?  Dancing?  Synchronized swimming?
From Norway.

Kraftidioten - 2014 - Norway

Kraftidioten - 2014 - 7/10
AKA - In Order Of Disappearance

 
Ice cold romp of revenge - revenge - more revenge, set in deep freeze Norway.
After the snow plow operator’s son is mistakenly killed, he sets out to kill those responsible.
One by one.
Foes include a pony tailed vegan and a gang of Serbs.
Film laced with the blackest humor, bleak and bitter.
Deserves a wide audience, though lack of teenage heroes or perfumed cleavage will dissuade the 10 watt bulbs.
Note:  Remade in 2019, Cold Pursuit, apparently for Americans who cannot read subtitles.

Død Snø 2 - 2014 - Norway

Død Snø 2 - 2014 - 6/10
AKA - Dead Snow 2: Red Vs Dead

 
Once again, the cursed Nazi zombies sweep through remote Norwegian countryside.
Killing, then converting hapless villagers to increase their numbers.
From the States, the Zombie Squad arrives (three geeks - one with an intense Star Wars obsession).
Gory mayhem, putrid bubblings, steeped with a wicked sense of humor.
Film packed with laugh out loud grossness, and a climactic battle between Nazi zombies and Soviet zombies from the legendary battle of Kursk.
(Not necessarily the best film to watch while eating spaghetti.)

Død Snø - 2009 - Norway

Død Snø - 2009 - 6/10
AKA - Dead Snow

Dead teenager flick, though prospective meals are a tad older.
Two carloads of medical students follow a remote mountain road, exit, then hike to a cabin in oblivion.
Inside, they discover stolen Nazi gold.
Resurrected Nazi zombies follow soon enough.
Gorehounds, take heart.
Though outnumbered, the medical types, accustomed to bloody organs, can dish it out.

 

Cold Prey - 2006 - Norway

Cold Prey - 2006 - 5/10

AKA - Fritt Vilt

 
Norwegian dead teenager flick.
After some business with a chase early on, newspaper and TV reports indicate 100+ skiers have mysteriously disappeared.
Cut to a SUV with five teens out for snowboarding jollies.
The serious couple, the horny couple, the jokster. Then they find - whoa! - a deserted ski lodge.
Predictable slasher genre. I knew who would die first, and who would survive or die last.
I knew this would be generic, but I couldn't stop myself.
Bubble head.