Directed by:
Ali AbbasiCinematography:
Nadim CarlsenComposer:
Martin DirkovCast:
Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson, Viktor Åkerblom, Matti Boustedt, Andreas Kundler, Ibrahim Faal, Henrik Johansson, Sten Ljunggren, Ann Petrén (more)VOD (1)
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Tina is a customs agent with a nose for trouble. She can literally smell human emotions, which is a handy talent for sniffing out suspicious border crossers. But when a mysterious male traveller's scent confounds her, she's faced with hugely disturbing insights about who she is and what she wants. (MUBI)
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Reviews (8)
I caught up with this Scandinavian oddity and to my surprise it's decent and recommendable. The story focuses on Tina, who looks weird and is quite creepy, her life is not worth much and she works as a customs officer at an airport. But she has specially developed olfactory abilities and she can smell fear, guilt and other emotions from people, and thanks to that she catches some pedophiles. Her life changes, when she meets Vore, who has a similarly repulsive appearance, and they begin a sort of bizarre romance (the sex scene with them is very repulsive indeed). The film mixes multiple genres, it's interwoven with Norse mythology, it manages to shock (it gets quite intense at the end), and the whole thing is so strange, interesting and novel that I really enjoyed it. Scandinavian weirdness with all the trimmings. 7/10.
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An honest, bizarre festival film, combining dark Scandinavian crime and bestial romance with fantasy mythology. Despite many WTF moments, the film is clearly rooted in our reality and based on multi-layered motifs reflecting current world events, especially regarding the issue of gender and sexual identity and approaches to minorities in society. This genre mix is directed with a firm hand, but in parts it deserves a brisker pace. Nevertheless, its originality, courage and uniqueness are definitely appreciated. And the great masks and acting performances of both title characters.
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What a bizarre film. Initially, I thought I'd complain about the slow pacing, but honestly, I can't imagine this story told at a breakneck speed. Yes, it's definitely a slow burn, so action movie lovers might last twenty minutes tops, but I actually enjoyed the result of this Swedish-Danish collaboration. Anthropology enthusiasts should definitely give this film a watch for its fascinating glimpse into a blind alley of evolutionary development. On the other hand, dentists and their sensitive patients might want to skip it. The filmmakers have created a truly unique genre mashup; one moment, you're watching a heartfelt, melancholic drama, and the next, you're trying to erase from your memory some bizarre forest scenes convincing you that the ultimate sexual experience involves a fungal infection. I've seen a lot in my years, so I'm not pretending to be shocked or disgusted. But I wouldn't recommend it to the younger, less worldly audience or the more delicate aesthetes. Despite Tina's unusual appearance and eccentric behavior, I found her quite endearing. I wasn't bored for a second, despite the leisurely pace. / Lesson Learned: A moose is a troll's best friend.
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LGBTT..? Nordic noir, supernatural horror, and realism—both magical and social—layered onto a love story and a quest for identity as part of a minority. Ali Abbasi, trolling the audience, designed it this way because practically anything can follow a love story, but it must be strong enough to support it. It’s a pity that the sun didn’t come out during the erotic scene; if it had been a rock, it would have made it even more intense.
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Border has a detective storyline that strays into festival-movie bizarreness with diverse thoughtgerms.
Despite what seems like elements of fantasy, we remain firmly rooted in reality, which makes
it all the more frightening and disturbing. The creator calls it “Nordic realism”. It is a psychological,
physical and, in some places, perhaps even repulsive experience for some, but always socially
reflective and comrehensible from all angles. Plus, there’s some comic relief, which is probably
deliberate, but I’m not sure. [Cannes]
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