Handling the Undead

First of all, I love what John Ajvide Lindqvist does. I read almost all of his books and every time it was a pure pleasure. However, he's very, very, extremely unlucky with the movie adaptations of his books. This particular movie... I don't know what it is and why it was made. For those who read the book it will be a torture, for those who didn't - just a dead-boring piece of crap. Also, I don't think anyone in the team had any idea of what they were doing. The meaning of the book was completely different, and I mean 100% different. Why is there the Satanic cross on the poster? What Satan has to do with this movie and with this book?

I basically cheer for European film. This movie got a lot of attention when it was released in Norway. Mostly because Renate Reinsve plays one of the lead roles, but also for the theme; What happens when the dead come back? In the many positive reviews of the film, the main characters' feelings of loss and grief were highlighted as the film's strengths. The film is based on an interesting perspective; How would we react and listed if our dear deceased came back to us? Since the film's focus is primarily about the main characters' behavior and reactions, this is to a small extent a "zombie movie". Fair enough. But for me, the movie doesn't quite work. The film's lack of dialogue and storytelling deprives us of viewers the mility to get to know those involved in the film. It all gets too stagnant for me. And I lost interest in the movie while I saw it. When the movie towards the end finally takes some dramatic twists, it's too late. But one case has the director succeeded; The creepy mood of the film persists from beginning to end.

This motion picture, viewed in the current year of 2024, stands out as exceptionally tedious. The filmmakers' attempt to craft a distinctive zombie movie while simultaneously pursuing artistic and dramatic elements ultimately falls short of achieving either objective. The narrative unfolds at an excruciatingly slow pace, severely hindering the overall viewing experience. While the acting performances demonstrate a degree of competence, the character development remains shallow and fails to engage the audience. I cannot recommend this movie. This is 1.5 hours of wasted time. How this movie have received awards are beyond my understanding.

This movie is slow, with a severe lack of story and dialogue. With a great cast and interesting concept, this was a missed opportunity. I gave up an hour in Ten minutes+ before a word was spoken. This would be excused if any semblance of visual story was told. Alas, nothing and I mean nothing happened in the meantime. When someone finally spoke, nothing was said. 30 minutes in, hoping that this "artistic choice" was made to set the tone for the film, I started skipping ahead. Whenever the subtitles popped up, I'd go back and watch it. Again, nothing of note was said I gave up and I'm happy for it.

What a beautiful film. I'm sitting here stunned after watching. This is not for the horror hounds. It has horror / supernatural elements, but this is first and foremost a drama. I love horror, but I also love a good film and this is certainly now one of my new favorites. I was completely mesmerized the whole time. I can't understand the reviews that say it's boring. Clearly they didn't watch the trailer and had no idea what they were getting into. This is mature, intelligent and beautiful filmmaking on every level. The cinematography, the acting and soundtrack were all out of this world. What a fulfilling piece of work. Thank you to the filmmakers. I can't recommend this film enough.