Naboer (2005)

Director:

Pål Sletaune

Writer:

Pål Sletaune (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 March 2005 (Norway)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Noen dører bør aldri åpnes (Some doors should never be opened)

Plot:

John has just been left by his girlfriend Ingrid. That day he allows himself to be seduced into a mystical and scary world, where it is impossible to separate truth from the lies

Plot Keywords:

Psychological Thriller | Neighbor | Rotting Corpse | Female Nudity | Leg Spreading

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kristoffer Joner	...	John
Cecilie A. Mosli	...	Anne (as Cecilie Mosli)
Julia Schacht	...	Kim
Anna Bache-Wiig	...	Ingrid
Michael Nyqvist	...	Åke
Øystein Martinsen	...	Peter
Odd Arno Midtsjø	...	Gammel Mand
Magne Kipperrud	...	Kollega

Also Known As:

Next Door (Denmark) (International: English title)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

Denmark | Sweden | Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | UK:18 | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Norway:18

Filming Locations:

Jar, Norway

Company:

4 1/2 Film

Trivia:

The first Norwegian made film to get an 18 rating in 17 years in Norway. The last one to get an 18 rating before this one was Hotel St. Pauli (1988).

Soundtrack:

Athmosphere

Unusually Erotic Horror Thriller... From the Land of Black Metal

John, who has recently been left by his girlfriend, is lured into his next door neighbors' apartment. Inside he finds two women (who claim to be attractive, but this is debatable), a seduction and some of the most bizarre mind-bending you'll see in a film (Norwegian or otherwise).

For some reason this film is translated as "Next Door" when the word "naboer" means "neighbor", but I guess literal translations aren't the thing. I mean, the movie "Mark of the Devil" is originally in German and means something like "Witches Bleeding, Tortured To Death"... so, hey, I guess Americans can call movies whatever they want.

"An homage to Roman Polanski with nods to David Lynch," says Variety. I don't know enough about Polanski's work to really comment on that, but the Lynch connection is clear. There are many occasions in this film where it is unclear whether the main character is delusional or sane. Although, the difference is this: in a Lynch film, you are left to come up with your own theory, while here the situation is cleared up satisfactorily.

I really enjoyed this movie. It played out really slow, but in such a way that the "Reveal" was well-paced and we were only given enough hints to keep going along while getting hungrier for more (like a carrot on a stick). Any slower and it would have lost me, any faster and it would be a short film.

Personally, I found certain scenes to be highly erotic and incredibly sexy. This might be just me, since the scenes also contain excessive violence. Should violence be sexy? I don't know, but in this case I was rather taken by the presentation. Like "Jenifer" which I just watched, the film blends the disgusting with the beautiful -- with surprising results.

This will not appeal to everyone. The film is certainly "bizarre" and the movie is subtitled, which some will not enjoy. But if you like David Lynch or have a craving for something you're not likely to find in your average film, this is the film for you. (Note: the film is considered "horror" and has horror elements, but I'd sooner put it under "suspense".)