Director: Patrick von Barkenberg
Year: 2019
Country: Sweden/USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Exploitation
Plot:
Looking to get new inspiration, a crime writer decides to take a holiday in Sweden on a remote farmhouse trying to find her next book only to come across the increasingly unhinged and psychotic individuals around the farm and tries to find a way to get herself to safety.
Review:
Overall, this was a decent enough if still troubling effort. One of the better features here is the generally odd atmosphere at the farm that really invites plenty of generally creepy feelings the longer we’re around. Ranging from the generally bizarre farmer and his eccentric lifestyle to the obsessive fan and his wife that plow their way into the story, the general feeling from the environment is exceptionally creepy that goes hand in hand with the general beauty of the landscape. This explodes into a grisly and violent final half where it’s built entirely on the reversal of those elements to become a fun grindhouse-styled adventured laced with some dark comedic sequences and plenty of fine gore. Tossed off with some solid nudity from those well-qualified to deliver and there’s some generally enjoyable elements to this one.
However, there are still a few flaws here. The main troublesome aspect is the glacial-like pacing that really takes the viewer out of the film with very little of any interest happening for long periods of time. The time spent on the farm getting used to the various quirks and eccentricities of that lifestyle do nothing but showcase how she’s so unaccustomed to farm-life being from the city. Nothing about this is creepy or thrilling, and the one time it could’ve been with her clothes being stolen while skinny-dipping doesn’t even register as she takes off without alerting or informing anyone about what happened. The end result is that there’s way too much time taken here before anything starts going on.
The other big issue is that there’s no clear indcation of what the film’s trying to be. The influx of several vastly different storylines, from the rustic lifestyle on the farm to the posh lifestyle she lives that’s supposed to provide fish-out-of-water comedy to the quirky neighbors that get involved in the story and the matter-of-factness of the different people on the farm that they go about their lives without bothering her until the very end means there’s a seemingly discordant tone that arises. Whether it’s supposed to be funny or creepy is never really explored and the film feels awash in numerous plot-points that really don’t mesh into any kind of worthwhile hole. These here are what really hold this one back.
Overview: **.5/5
While this provides a few decent likable qualities to it, the fact that the flaws are far more detrimental really hangs over this one making for a less than enjoyable experience. Only go for this one if you're a fan of these quirky horror/black comedies or intrigued about it's positives while those turned off by the negatives should heed caution.
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