Det kom en gäst...

There's nothing I love to watch more than a good old-fashioned "whodunit" mystery/thriller. Bunch of people gathering in a secluded mansion or island where one of them gets murdered, and then it immediately becomes clear that every single one of the other characters has his/her own motive to be the killer. The reason why I love this genre so much is all because of one woman. One of the greatest persons who ever lived; - Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie was popular and famous in the 1940s, because of her novels and thanks to the release of the film version of "And Then There Were None" in 1945. Undoubtedly, she was also popular in Sweden, so I'm certainly not excluding the obscure "Det kom en gäst..." was heavily influenced by her work. It's a very traditional whodunit, set around Christmas time on a large Northern farming estate. The Ernstam family, together with friends and neighbors, come together for Christmas but the atmosphere is somewhat ruined when it becomes known that the eldest brother plans to sell the estate. When he's found dead in the stables, it looks like a tragic accident, but not everyone is convinced. A famous writer, who got invited by one of the daughters, begins to investigate. And, of course, more suspicious accidents happen.

Very moody and atmospheric little thriller, efficiently directed by Arne Mattson and beneficing from a couple of strong performances, clever plot twists, and suspenseful highlights. The cast is slightly too large, in my opinion, and it's often difficult to remember who is who, but that's about the only negative element I can write about this charming Swedish oddity.

Don't let yourselves fooled by the low rating, the movie deserves better.

It's a typically crime story: a person dies and you're left guessing until the end of the movie about the murderer. Considering the fact that Scandinavian cinematography isn't that well known, I think most of the actors had an above average performance, the scenery was perfect for a noir movie and the music was also very well suited.

Don't dive in with high expectations and let yourselves be surprised during 68 minutes of misterious nordic production.

As others have already correctly observed, "A Guest Is Coming" (1947) is an Agatha Christie-type murder mystery, where an extended family celebrating Christmas together in their large estate / farm find themselves getting knocked-off one after the other. The film has a cozy Christmas feeling (before the murders start....) and some very atnospheric moments, but even at only 68 minutes you can feel a certain padding, some of the character connections are murky, and the final revelation is a bit anticlimactic, with the murderer basically just exposing him/herself. As the title "guest", Sture Lagerwall is creepily magnetic; Gerd Hagman (Christina) also has a striking presence, but unfortunately too small a role. **1/2 out of 4.