185. The Innocents (De uskyldige); movie review

 

THE INNOCENTS (DE USKYLDIGE)

Cert 15

117 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, bloody images, threat

Blimey, The Innocents is tough, riveting and brings out all of those fears that we had hoped were locked away in childhood.

It is another Scandinavian movie which delves into areas that mainstream films shy away from.

Eskil Vogt's picture focuses on a little girl, Ida (Rakel Lenora Fløttum) who has just moved into a new flat with her mum (Ellen Dorrit Petersen ), dad (Morten Svartveit) and elder sister, Anna (Alva Brynsmo Ramstad).

Anna is unable to speak because of her autism and her younger sibling is resentful of the attention she receives from their parents.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the block is young Ben (Sam Ashraf) who has a malevolent spirit which initially attracts Ida.

Ultimately, the film poses a challenge between good and evil and the former is represented by another young girl (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim) whose unseen talents include being able to understand Anna and help her be a positive force too.

The plot may seem convoluted but it not only works, it gets under the skin of the audience.

All of the young actors are terrific and the way Vogt keeps the unfolding horror away from the movie's unsuspecting adults makes it all the more riveting.

But it really takes hold when they become embroiled in it.

I don't want to give anything else away other than to say that this left me with a similar sense of unease to Let The Right One In back in 2008.

There are no vampires this time, but it is just as good.

Reasons to watch: Unusual, shocking and riveting

Reasons to avoid: Upsetting scenes

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? Telepathy was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research.

The final word. Eskil Vogt: "You want to orchestrate being on the edge of your seat or a gasp here or there. But what I’m especially happy about is if people talk after the movie about the magic of their own childhood. I want them to talk about being kids, and experiencing the limits of right or wrong, almost everyone has some kind of memory of that." 

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