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.
