After decades of gritty social realism, lamebrained comedies and pretentious art trash came this fullblooded genre movie with plenty of blood and guts, thrills and chills with a talented cast of newcomers and a few surprises from a wellknown veteran. Humorist, TV-writer and stage director Ole Bornedal made his feature directing debut with this serial killer thriller starring the excellent Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as law student Martin who takes a job as a night watchman at the city morgue. At the same time, he is playing a dangerous game of challenges with reckless buddy Jens (Kim Bodnia, in a starmaking performance). Eventually he develops a kinship with determined police inspector Wörmer (a welcome change-of-pace for comedian Ulf Pilgaard, who has never been better), who is hunting the serial killer. No further revelations here, but check it out for yourself, BEFORE or even INSTEAD of renting the US remake with Ewan McGregor and Nick Nolte. This one is the genuine article, stylish and scary, admittedly with the usual plot holes and flaws, but a winner all the way with a couple of great laughs to vent the tension. The songs performed by Sort Sol adds just the right touch. That´s Ulrich Thomsen (the speaker from FESTEN) as the bully in the bar, by the way. ***½
Review of Nightwatch
