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15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTime14February2015|Features,FilmLists|byLaiaFreixanet

TheincreasingnumberofScandinavianthrilleranddramanovelspublishedoverrecentyearsandtheamazingsuccessofthisliterarygenrehasinspiredmanyfilmmakers.Assuch,manyofthefollowingfilmsarebookadaptations.

Northerncountriesareideallocationstoshootauthenticandchillingsetswithinthethrillergenre.Themaincharacteristicthatunderpinsthrillerfilmsisacontinuousemphasisonthesolvingofanenigma.However,despitethefactthatthefilmsallsharethiskeycharacteristic,thegenreisextensiveandeclectic.Forinstance,thrillerfilmscandealwithcrime,selfconsciousnessconflicts,terrorism,psychologicalissues,andsoon,eventhough

14/5/2015 15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema

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theyregularlyfollowarudimentaryframework.

Thefollowinglistaimstoshowawiderangeoffilmsthatyoumaynothaveseen,astheyarenotnecessarilyinternationallyknownexceptTheGirlWiththeDragonTattoo(thankstotheDavidFincherremake).

15.Detour(2009)

SnarveienisaNorwegianfilmdirectedbySeverinEskeland.Lina(MarteChristensen)andMartin(SondreKrogtoftLarsen)aredrivingtoSwedentogotoaweddingparty.Suddenly,apolicemanstopsthembecausethemainroadisclosedandtheyhavetotakeadetour.Theyarestuckinthewoodswheretheyarebeingcontrolledbyapsychopathicfamilywhohasputcamerasallover,brazenlybringingthemtoabrutalsituation.

Whileitisnotanoverwhelminglyimpressivefilm,ithassomeagonizingmomentsandgoryviolence(forthosewhofeelacertainfondnessforthecreepysideofthegenre).Itistheumpteenthretellingofaconventionalhorrorstorystill,thepeaksandlullskeepthespectatorsattention.

14.Hidden(2009)

14/5/2015 15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema

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KaiKoss(KristofferJoner)inheritshismothershouse,asshehasrecentlypassedaway.Theleadcharacterisatraumatizedpersonbecauseofhismothersatrociousmistreatmentofhimasachild.Heplanstoburnthehousebecauseheishavingterriblenightmaresandflashbackstohischildhood,butSara(CecileMosli),apolicewomanwhoknowshim,doesntwanthimto.KristopherJonerisalsoknownforthefilmNextDoor(2005),andinbothheplays,indeed,aplausiblerole.

DirectedbyPlie,Hiddenisnotpreciselycreative,consideringthatitfollowsthesameframeworkasmanyotherhorrorfilms.Forthoselookingforsomethingdifferent,thisfilmcoulddisappointyou.

13.EasyMoney(2010)

SnabbaCashisthefirstfilmofatrilogybasedonthethrillernovelbyJensLapidus,anddirectedbyDanielEspinosa(aSwedishfilmmakerwithLatinAmericanroots).MixingEnglish,SpanishandSwedish,thisHollywoodlookingactionfilmhas,inonewayoranother,animpersonalstyle.

TheclichriddenproductionisthestoryofJW(JoelKinnaman),ayoungboywholeadsaduallife.Whilestudyingeconomics,hesellsdrugsinordertofinanciallysupporthislife.Withahazypast,JWisunabletomaintainarelationshipwiththegirlwholoveshim.Thecrossingofthreedifferentcharacterspathsbringsusanactionpackedfilm.

12.Babycall(2011)

14/5/2015 15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema

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Anna(NoomiRapace),anoverprotectivesinglemotherwithan8yearoldchild,isunabletoseetheboundarybetweenfictionandreality.Herexhusbandattemptstokilltheirson,Anders(VetleQvenildWerring),whichmakesherastrongwilledcharacterwhotriesherbesttoprotecthim.Severalcoincidenttalesconvergeduringthestory,andtheactionisconcentratedinthelastminutesofthefilm.

Babycall(or,TheMonitor),directedbyPlSletaune,isaNorwegianpsychologicalthrillerinsofarastheviewerwillalsofinditdifficulttodistinguishwhererealitylies.Thefilmbecomesprogressivelyjaggedandchaotic,asAnnasuffersapersonalcrisis.

11.Escape(2012)

Norway,1363:TheBlackDeathhasannihilatedaconsiderablenumberoftheNorwegianpopulation.Afamilyseekingamorefavourablelifeislynchedbyagroupofremorselessslayers.Signe(IsabelChristineAndreasen),theonlysurvivor,istakenasahostagesinceDagmar(IngridBolsBerdal),theleaderofthegroup,wantstouseherforpersonalpurposes.Signeneedstofindanallywhowillhelpherrunaway.

Escape,directedbyRoarUthaug,isawelldirectedperiodfilm.Nevertheless,itfocusestoomuchonthegirlsescapeattemptsandlacksanindepthlookattherelationshipbetweentheaccomplices.Theartdirectioniswellexecuted,andthelocationsarecleverlychosen.

10.BadFaith(2010)

14/5/2015 15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema

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BadFaithisaSwedishfilmdirectedbyKristianPetrithatexposesamosaicofawkwardandterribleeventswhichMona(SonjaRichter)witnesses.

Whileitmaybetediousorslowmovingforsomeviewers,itis,however,anauthentic,picturesquecreation.Longtakesandtravellingshotscreateanamazing,graphicimpact.OdddialogueswithhispartnerFrank(JonasKarlsson)andunnaturalreactionsbytheleadingactressinthefaceofseveralcrimesmakeitabizarre,butstilltenderheartedwork.

9.Avalon(2011)

Janne(JohannesBrost)isanimmatureandmelancholicpartypromoter.HerunstheopeningofthehottestnewAvalonnightclubinBstad(Sweden),whichisexpectedtobeabigsuccess.Aninadvertentmurderisthestartofanightmare.Gettingridofallevidencewillbeaneasytask,asthedeadboyisaLithuanianimmigrantwhoisscornedbytheothercharacterswhothinkonlyaboutmakingmoneywiththeinaugurationoftheclub.Theopeningofthenightclubiseventuallythecoverupfortheaccident.

AxelPetersnbringsusasluggishfilmwithanapparentlystraightforwardplotthatyoucancomprehendwitheasebyreadingthesynopsis.However,ithasawarpedbackground,asthefilmgoesfurtherthanthemainstorylineby

14/5/2015 15GreatNordicThrillersThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema

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JayC 3monthsagoThisisagreatlist.IalsorecommendTheHunt,aDanishfilmstarringMadsMikkelsen(ofHannibalandCasinoRoyalefame).

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Porst 20hoursago'Sauna'fromFinlandisalsoanexcellentdarkthrillerIhighlyrecommend.It'salsoknownas'EvilRising'and'Filth'.It'sbeautifullyshotandhasalotofreallycreepysymbolism.

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iagodeotto 2daysagoTheDanishfilm"DeliverUsfromEvil(Friosfradetonde)"shouldalsobeonthislist.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt12...

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