Direction: Eskil Vogt
Country: Norway
The Norwegian Eskil Vogt is best known for his writing partnership with director Joachim Trier, with whom he created gems such as Oslo August 31st (2011) and the recently released The Worst Person in the World (2021). On the other hand, he is also a competent if infrequent director. Following the 2014-released Blind, The Innocents is a psychological horror thriller that confirms his penchant for mood, inspired storytelling, and attention to detail.
In this eerily atmospheric tale, four teenagers - Ida (Rakel Lenora Fløttum) and her autistic sister Anna (Alva Brynsmo Ramstad), Benjamin (Sam Ashraf), and Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim) - forge a strange and intimate connection on a psyche and spiritual levels. They first use their unfathomable mental powers to play innocent games, but soon, one of them opts for harming the people who vex him.
Fortunately, Vogt is more interested in being genuinely creepy in a subtle way than piling up showoff scenes with technical pyrotechnics. What we have here isn’t mere style over substance but rather a perfect balance between the two. The film holds our attention, staging the events with nuanced, compelling dynamics as the story sneaks under our skins, suggestively portraying something sinister.
The haunting camerawork, apt score, and flawless acting by the four young debutant leads are vital elements in the bewitchery. The Innocents is a chilling slow burn worth seeking out.
