Sensoria

I really enjoyed Sensoria. I was surprised at the overall quality of the film. The subtle nuances in the storytelling and performances didn't feel like a film from a first time feature film director. The acting is good for the most part, especially the little girl played by newcomer Norah Andersen as well as the main actress Lanna Olsson playing Caroline who really carries the film. Also her friend Emma played by Alida Morberg, and Rafael Pettersson playing Johan the strange neighbor really make up a great ensemble cast. You can see that the director really worked with the actors, as it was more subtle than Swedish films normally are. The dialogue was delivered in a good way. It is one of the better Swedish genre films in the last years for me. Less is more and that is truly the case here.

I really love the slow pace of the film, it really adds to the atmosphere and overall feeling. You feel the tempo is deliberate and the director leads you through the film. It is a very well told psychological thriller drama (which might be considered horror to some people). The filmmakers have managed to portray a woman breaking down, losing the realms of reality and connecting with the supernatural world in a really good way. I felt that the portrayal of Caroline and what she goes through was very real. Her loneliness resonated through the screen.

The imagery and visual composition stayed with me for a long time after watching the film. The way the director guides us through the story was really fantastic. I also liked the unconventional way of sometimes letting us the viewer see things that the main character didn't seem aware of... at first this was odd I felt... but then as I got into it and also re-watched it I really felt this made the film stronger. Also that the apartment building was used as a character was really good. How the sound was used sometimes unconventional but it still made sense. There were influences from Polanski's The Tenant, Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby and also Winner's The Sentinnel for sure... and also some J-Horror influences that you could feel. I still felt it was unique in its own way and it had that Scandinavian feel to it. Great use of the location. Cinematography was impressive and there was always small movement in the camera which gave it a nerve and the composition really gave the film that extra creepy feeling.

Story wise I might have wanted a little bit more... I understand this was a very independent film, made for very little money and a one location film at that. Althoug this is no excuse I still feel that Sensoria is a fantastic film, and I really enjoyed it. If you like slow paced, well told, atmospheric, intelligent genre films that ask questions and lets you think about the film - then Sensoria is a film for you.

For being Swedish this film really stands out as well, and it is strange that the film has gotten so little recognition in its homeland Sweden. This film deserves an audience. The director really showed what he could do with very small mean, looking forward to his next film.

For a low budget ghost story, this was pretty decent. I thought Lanna Ohlsson did a terrific job in her role. The apartment building and attic provide a great creepy atmosphere.

The story was pretty well done and left quite a bit for the viewer to interpret. There were a couple things where I would have liked explained a bit more, but over all it was pretty solid. I don't mind watching subtitled movies either.

If you like the genre, give it a try. Don't expect anything ground breaking, but it's interesting and not a bad movie at all. I look forward to the next project by this director.

This is a pretty good Swedish horror movie. Very suspenseful and atmospheric. Reminds me a little bit of Roman Polanski's The Tenant: not the plot, but the creepy atmosphere. Performances are very good. Pace is slow, but that is why it's so suspenseful and creepy.

If you only like Hollywood schlock, then this definitely isn't the movie for you. If you want something a little different, and you like suspense/horror with good, understated acting - and you like European movies - then it's worth checking out.

Swedish with English subtitles.

Far from a perfect movie, but it definitely has it's moments. It makes great use of the innate depressing creepiness of every older, crappy apartment building in the country. Every little detail reminds me of some place I've lived (hell, my current place even has a closet door in the hallway that keeps opening, with almost exactly the same wallpaper!) and they are lovingly shot to show them off in all their glory. They are perfectly realistic and in no way exaggerated either. The building definitely feels like a real home.

Some of the dialogue felt pretty unnatural to me, but it definitely nails the uneasy feeling of moving into a new apartment. At it's best moments it reminds me of Dark Water, which it is probably heavily influenced by.

Another low budget picking in on the ghost story freakshow being delivered nowadays but sadly it wasn't my thing. Therefor it was too slow and there are conversations that are way too long and rather boring.

Of course they had to add a child towards the story, you know the creepy one, that should be scary but for me it wasn't. Simply because the effects didn't work out for me. Things moving in a kitchen or fallen out of the cupboard, you know the kind of things but no, not for me.

It's all the way to the end that it becomes a horror story but for me it was too late. I had to sit through a lot of conversations that sometimes didn't add a thing to the story and even clocking in under 90 minutes it was still a punish to watch it to the end. I do know what production was trying to deliver but sadly for me again, too late.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0/5