Don’t say bad things 2022.
Directed by Christian Tafdrup.
Starring Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev, Hichem Yacoubi, Lea Baastrup Rønne and Jesper Dupont.
SYNOPSIS:
A Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on vacation. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly begins to unravel as the Danes try to be polite in the face of unpleasantness.
Patience wears thin as you watch the Danish guests of a Dutch peasant family who don’t make smart decisions or continue to make poor decisions. Of course, making terrible decisions is a staple of the horror genre, but director Christian Tafdrup (co-screenwriter with Mads Tafdrup) is not only aware of this with don’t say bad thingsbut it also weaves it into the fabric of the narrative.
Various contrived elements still work against the overall narrative, but none detract from don’t say bad thingsThe vague and frozen core, which concludes with a harrowing series of shocking, soul-shaking events. When the end credits started, my first thought was: “thank God, these are just fictional characters”; it was the only way to calm my nerves and compose my thoughts. Many movies wish they could make viewers care about their characters the way they do. don’t say bad things does, which practically made me beg on the inside for it to be sold and have a happy ending (something I rarely want). This is how things get unapologetically, mercilessly, and excitingly fucked up.
Admittedly, it’s hard to explain in a spoiler-free review why the narrative works, as much of the last 15 minutes recontextualizes what we think about these characters and what the movie might be saying (the motivations behind certain despicable acts are somewhere). between simple and horribly, inexplicably evil). But it can be said that the general exploration of the similarities between the Danes and the Dutch, along with how different these particular families seem, is not a juxtaposed dynamic without its universal traits. don’t say bad things it’s a playfully insane title (and there are moments of twisted humor here), considering it’s a story about the voiceless and the voices and how the latter need to use them instead of reverting to politeness even though a lot of things are clearly out of line. place with respect to the situation in which they find themselves. they are in
Danish couple Bjørn and Louise (played by Morten Burian and Sidsel Siem Koch, respectively) with their young daughter Agnes (Liva Forsberg) are vacationing in Tuscany when they cross paths with Dutch couple Patrick and Karin (Fedja van Huêt and Karina Smulders). ) and their young son Abel (Marius Damslev). They strike up a casual conversation and have dinner together, briefly introducing who they are. Key details include Louise’s vegetarian preference, Bjørn’s skinny appearance and tremors when faced with situations that don’t feel right, Patrick’s medical background, and Abel’s handicap from being born without a tongue (or a much smaller one). than the standard human).
Sometime after that vacation, Patrick and Karin invite Bjørn and Louise to their remote forest home to mingle and relax. Hesitant that Bjørn and Louise don’t necessarily know Patrick and Karin on solid terms yet, they indulge anyway, assuming the escapade will do some good (while also pointing out that Agnes will have someone to play with). From there, the families use opposing parenting methods, and that’s about all one needs to know going into it. don’t say bad things.
The performances are emotional and at times terrifying, there’s a palpable dread from the moment families start to find themselves at odds with each other (a worrying sentiment once a character does something incredibly creepy), and the ending is sickeningly creepy. tense, accentuated by a powerful score by Sune Kølster.
don’t say bad things it’s a film that’s hard to forget, with a four-word sentence at the climax that will reverberate in your mind for a long time.
Flashing Myth Rating – Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the reviews editor for Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]
