ABOVE AVERAGE

The brutal 1973 murder of a young couple camping in northern Sweden has repercussions not only at the time in a small community near the site, but also 18 years later. After the excellent miniseries Hunt for a Killer (2020), director Mikael Marcimain returned to the genre of period crime dramas that are loosely based on real events, in this case a lauded novel inspired by a still unsolved murder of Dutch tourists that took place in 1984. Writer Kerstin Ekman also crafted a stark portrait of rural life and a cult’s deceptive, isolationist ways, all vividly brought to life by this cast and crew, adding meticulous period details.

2023-Sweden-Denmark-Germany. 355 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Mikael Marcimain. Teleplay: Karin Arrhenius, Maren Louise Käehne. Novel: Kerstin Ekman. Cinematography: Joe Maples. Music: Mattias Bärjed. Production Design: Anna Asp. Cast: Rolf Lassgård (Birger Torbjörnsson, 1991), Pernilla August (Annie Raft, 1991), Asta Kamma August (Annie Raft, 1973), Magnus Krepper, Alba August, Liv Mjönes… Cecilia Nilsson, Magnus Roosmann.

Trivia: Original title: Händelser vid vatten. Originally shown in six episodes. Pernilla August was originally set to also direct.

Last word: “I had read this iconic novel and it had always seemed like a dream project. When it unexpectedly landed in my lap to take over together with director Mikael Marcimain, I was happy and grateful. “Blackwater” is a Swedish classic and for me it’s also special since I have an old house and spend a lot of time in Jämtland in the north of Sweden where Kerstin Ekman used to live and where the story takes place. So I feel a strong connection to the story.” (Arrhenius, Nordisk Film & TV Fond)