News

Kjell Bergqvist as Tom Stilton and Dar Salim as Abbas, in the Swedish crime drama series “Spring Tide” Season 2. Directors: Niklas Ohlson, Pontus Klänge. Photo credit: Niklas Maupoix. Produced by Filmlance International Ab. Courtesy of MHz Choice

The Swedish crime drama,”Spring Tide” (originally “Springfloden”) is back with Season 2. I reviewed Season One of the series a couple of months ago (here is the link to that review: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/02/spring-tide-season-one-tv-series-review/). Season Two brings back most of those principals for another 10-episode mystery.

Season Two is somewhat larger in scope, covering several crimes in two countries for its geographically scattered cast. It starts in Stockholm with the staged suicide of a possible corporate whistle-blower (Not a spoiler. It wouldn’t have been much of a series if the guy had actually killed himself. It’s just par for the genre course.). Then a dismembered woman’s body washes ashore in Marseilles.

The Swedish financial thriller Blinded (Fartblinda) is back for a third season. Starring Julia Ragnarsson as journalist Bea Farkas, the new season introduces fresh difficulties and a key new character, arriving on TV4 Play Plus on April 23, 2025. Here’s the Lowdown: Season 3 sees Bea Farkas (Julia Ragnarsson) join forces with a new colleague, […]

Blinded Season 3 Returns: New Intrigue Hits TV4 This April...

Julia Ragnarsson as Oliva Rönning and Kjell Bergqvist as Tom Stilton. Photo: Ulrika Malm

In the suspenseful crime drama , “Spring Tide (Springfloden): Season One”, Olivia is a student at the Swedish police academy is assigned to examine a cold case from 1990 to explore what technological advances might have produced a conviction had it occurred today. Coincidentally, the case is a particularly brutal murder of a young woman that her late father had worked on, forever after haunted by his inability to nail the killer(s). Another plot thread arises as a couple of young punks randomly attack homeless people, recording and posting their vicious beatings to titillate seekers of sadistic thrills.

In the early episodes we meet a slew of seemingly unrelated characters – so many that it requires extra concentration to keep up with the players and subplots while wondering how important any will become. One of the leads...

‘You know there’s got to be something better,” sang the iconic Marianne Faithfull. Similarly Göteborg market’s head of TV Drama Vision Cia Edström and Josef Kullengård, head of industry and Nordic Film Market, were determined to bring “good energy and hope” to their 2,000-plus guests – and not only as DJs of the closing Nordic Film Market gig.

Below are takeaways from the 2025 Nordic Film Market and TV Drama Vision, that took place under the motto “Collaborate, Create and Captivate.”

Farewell – Until Next Year

A new record attendance was set this year, according to preliminary figures released by Kullengård. A total 2,368 on-site delegates from 54 countries were accredited, including 780 for TV Drama Vision and 586 for the Nordic Film Market.

In terms of projects, Nordic Film Market showcased 68 feature-length projects and TV Drama Vision 61 series at various stages of production.

Edström said she is very happy with the numbers for the...

Now that Hereditary is streaming on Netflix, viewers may have an itch for even more terrifying horror movies, and fortunately, A24 has a number of amazing picks. First released in 2018, Hereditary is a supernatural horror film which follows a suburban family who start to notice strange occurrences after the family matriarch dies. As the family edges closer and closer to falling apart, the horrifying secret their grandmother hid threatens to be revealed. The movie is Ari Aster's directorial debut and stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, and Millie Shapiro.

Hereditary held the title of A24's highest-grossing movie for four years, and this achievement shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Hereditary helped put A24 on the map as a serious production company. The movie not only presents a compelling premise and strong filmmaking, but it also includes some of the most shocking and disturbing scares in A24's history. Hereditary...

A24 has emboldened itself with some incredibly successful films in the last decade, making for an impressive modern box office run few other cinematic brands can compete with. The independent entertainment company has become a trusted name in quality ever since its inception in 2012, taking chances on more bizarre, offbeat, or irreverent stories that bigger studios would be likely to overlook. From A24's unique brand of horror movie to their genre-defining dramas, the production and distribution powerhouse has an impressive box office record.

When it comes to their most profitable ventures, around half of A24's biggest winners are indeed horror movies, with the brand relating itself to scary films that go above and beyond simple campy jumpscares. Beyond that, there are several unique films many may not realize are under A24's umbrella that have done the artistically-minded independent production company well in theaters. The franchise's best-performing movies...

From the best indie horror movies to low-budget horror films that exceeded expectations, movies from the horror genre typically make use of a shorter runtime than their peers. Unlike other brands of cinema, the success of such films is not contingent upon elements that other genres traditionally rely on. The goal of these movies is to elicit fear, revulsion, and suspense among their audience. As such, they don't necessarily have to rely on an intricate plot or nuanced character development to produce a successful and memorable viewing experience.

With that being said, several preeminent films from the genre have effortlessly bucked this trend, proving that a lengthy running time doesn't necessarily constitute a death knell for successfully maintaining terror and tension across a longer period of time. From modern stand-outs to classic offerings from the genre, a number of the best horror films of all time have garnered beloved status...

Set in the tranquil countryside of southern Sweden, End of Summer tells the haunting story of one family still reeling from tragedy that struck decades ago. When young boy Billy vanished without a trace in the final days of a sweltering summer in 1984, it set in motion events that would forever alter the lives of loved ones left behind.

Now it’s 20 years later, and Billy’s older sister Vera remains gripped by the lingering shadow of that devastating loss. Living apart from her painful past, she pursues a career helping others process their own grief through group therapy sessions in Stockholm.

But ghosts from the past have a way of resurfacing, as viewers of Nordic noirs well know. And soon enough, subtle clues will draw Vera reluctantly back to the small town where it all began in search of long-denied closure.

Adapted from a bestselling novel by celebrated Swedish author Anders de la Motte,...

Horror movies remain popular, with streaming platforms offering a variety of classics and modern masterpieces for all fans. Dedicated platforms like Shudder cater to die-hard horror enthusiasts, while Netflix and Prime Video offer a wide selection for casual viewers. From psychological horror in Midsommar to the unsettling tension of The Strangers, horror films provide chilling experiences at home.

Horror movies have remained increasingly popular in recent years, with the best scary movies to stream featuring incredible remakes, sequels, and several new original stories that have made big waves. For years, horror movies were best enjoyed in a dark cinema with the collective audience experiencing the thrills and chills together. Now, with the ease and availability of so many streaming platforms and their large libraries of content, more people are choosing to dim the lights in their homes and watch horror from the comfort of the couch.

Dedicated horror streaming platforms...

Characters in horror movies often make poor decisions, leading to deadly consequences. Flawed decision-making can detract from the story and make characters less sympathetic. Poor judgment in horror movies can stem from genre conventions rather than realistic psychology.

It’s normal for characters in horror movies to need to make important choices from time to time. However, these characters need to ensure that the decisions they are making are the smartest ones possible. No matter how intelligent or capable a horror movie protagonist may seem, even characters in some of the best horror movies of all time can fall prey to common logical pitfalls, often with lethal consequences. These frequently repeated poor choices have become enduring horror clichés, ripe for satire in self-aware franchises like Scream, while remaining genre mainstays that rack up tension by pushing characters closer to danger.

While flawed decision-making can serve narrative purposes, it’s still...

Exclusive: Snabba Cash author Jens Lapidus and star Alexander Abdallah are combining on a Viaplay TV adaptation of the former’s novel Paradis City.

Abdallah is leading alongside Julia Ragnarsson (End of Summer) and Lapidus, who penned the Stockholm Noir trilogy that includes Snabba Cash, is an exec producer on the six-parter.

Paradis City follows a Home Secretary who delivers a speech in a deprived area and is kidnapped by masked men. Security Service agent Fredrika (Ragnarsson) then turns to Emir (Abdallah), a former Mma fighter facing a life sentence in prison, with an ultimatum – go undercover in Paradis City and find the Home Secretary if you want to see your daughter again. Félice Jankell (The Playlist) and Lancelot Ncube (The Restaurant) co-star with more to be announced in due course.

The Snabba Cash TV adaptation was also penned by Lapidus and Oskar Söderlund and has been one of Netflix’s most popular Scandi titles,...

Julia Ragnarsson and Erik Enge (“Tiger”) are the two leading stars of “End of Summer,” a psychological thriller series based Anders de la Motte’s bestselling Swedish novel of the same name. The show has been ordered by Viaplay and is being produced by Harmonica Films with Sf Studios and Film i Skåne co-producing.

Björn Carlström (“The Hunters”) and Stefan Thunberg (“Hamilton”) are the head writers on the series which shot in Skåne in the southern part of Sweden and will premiere in the fall on Viaplay.

The cast also includes Simon J Berger (“Exit”), Torkel Petersson (“A Swedish Defence”), Per Ragnar (“Let the Right One In”), Linus James Nilsson, Anna Granath, Emelie Garbers, Henrik Norlén, Bahador Foladi, Vilhelm Blomgren and Lars Schilken.

The six-episode series opens on a summer evening in 1984 when a 5-year-old boy vanishes in rural southern Sweden. The police investigation fails to find the truth, leaving behind rumors,...

"This weekend - the sommar never ends." A24 has revealed a short trailer to promote the Director's Cut release of the cult horror film Midsommar, Ari Aster's freakish Swedish delight that first opened in June. This Director's Cut is an unrated release, with new footage + extended scenes that put it at a total running time of 171 minutes. This was initially only supposed to show at special events, but A24 decided to put it back in theaters. Midsommar is about a woman who reluctantly joins her boyfriend on a holiday trip to a small Swedish village, where the encounter a pagan cult conducting a "violent and bizarre" ritual. Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor star, with Will Poulter, Julia Ragnarsson, William Jackson Harper, Björn Andrésen, Anna Åström, and Liv Mjönes. The Director's Cut has been praised as the complete vision and has worthwhile scenes to see (read Indiewire's report). If you...

"It's like they're trying to make it gross..." A24 has debuted a short, new "Summer Solstice" trailer for Ari Aster's cult horror film Midsommar, which opens in a few weeks. The trailer celebrates the actual, literal "midsummer", the longest day of the year (in the northern hemisphere). Midsommar is about a woman who reluctantly joins her boyfriend on a holiday trip to a small Swedish village, where the encounter a pagan cult conducting a "violent and bizarre" ritual. Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor star as the couple, along with Will Poulter, Julia Ragnarsson, William Jackson Harper, Björn Andrésen, Anna Åström, and Liv Mjönes. Early word from preview screenings is that the films is truly messed up, with viewers saying it's "Wild, unsettling, profound and & just about the craziest shit I’ve witnessed on the big screen". Oh yes. Here's the new "Summer Solstice" trailer for Ari Aster's Midsommar, direct...

"I don't want to acclimate – I want to go." A24 has revealed the second official trailer for Ari Aster's cult horror film Midsommar, the follow-up to his highly acclaimed feature debut Hereditary. Midsommar is about a woman who reluctantly joins her boyfriend on a trip to a small Swedish village, where the encounter a pagan cult conducting a "violent and bizarre" ritual. This looks very, very freakalicious. Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor star as the couple, along with Will Poulter, Julia Ragnarsson, William Jackson Harper, Björn Andrésen, Anna Åström, and Liv Mjönes. A24 teamed up with Aster to develop and produce this after releasing Hereditary, and will drop it in theaters in July in the middle of the summer. This looks mesmerizing and horrific and beautiful and frightening all at once. The music in this trailer rules. Here's the new full-length trailer (+ poster) for Ari Aster's Midsommar, direct from...

Having finally got that clucking noise out of my head from Hereditary, which premiered in June of last year, you can understand my frustration when I sat down to watch the director’s latest trailer this morning. On the one hand, I’m thrilled. The trailer’s indescribably eerie, trading the rhythmic clucking for even creepier exhales. On the other hand, the nightmares have returned.

Ari Aster’s latest bad-shit-crazy effort is one unlike any other. Titled Midsomnar, the film follows a couple vacationing in a remote Swedish Village. Sounds like a million other horror movies, right? Wrong.

Centering on fables similar to the Greek myths that concluded Hereditary, this camp (or cult?) seems to be steeped with Swedish folklore (the title Midsomnar refers to an ancient Swedish tradition for the longest day of the year), which is why the picture is overflowing with blinding light and colorful flowers. Don...

"You can't speak... you can't move... But this opens you up... It breaks down your defenses... Trust me." A24 has unveiled a teaser trailer for Ari Aster's new cult horror film Midsommar, the follow-up to his highly acclaimed feature debut Hereditary. A24 teamed up with Aster to develop and produce this after releasing Hereditary, and will drop it in theaters in August in the summer (of course). Midsommar is about a woman who reluctantly joins her boyfriend on a trip to a small Swedish village, where the encounter a pagan cult conducting a "violent and bizarre" ritual. Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor star as the couple, along with Will Poulter, Julia Ragnarsson, William Jackson Harper, Björn Andrésen, Anna Åström, and Liv Mjönes. This is nuts!! I dig the bright colors, and all the floral elements, despite how horrific it looks. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Ari Aster's Midsommar,...

Matias Varela and Julia Ragnarsson will star in “Blinded,” the much-anticipated Swedish thriller following a journalist on the trail of corruption in the world of high finance. Ragnarsson and Varela will take the lead roles, with the former playing the journalist Bea Farkas, who detects irregularities at a high-profile bank. Varela is Peder Rooth, the bank’s CEO.

The series is based on the books by economics journalist Carolina Neurath. Production starts later this month. Flx, which made Netflix’s first Swedish original, “Quicksand,” is producing for C More and TV4. All3Media International is also on board and handling international distribution of the series, its first move into Scandi drama. Film Capital Stockholm is a co-production partner.

Varela had a breakout role in TV4 series “New Times” before embarking on a career in film and TV that includes “Point Break” and, more recently, Netflix series “Narcos,” in which he played Jorge Salcedo.

Other winners include Sand Storm, American Honey, Old Stone, Hooligan Sparrow.

The jury of the 27th Stockholm International Film Festival has given the top award, the Bronze Horse, to Bulgarian director Ralitza Petrova for Godless.

The film previously won the Golden Leopard in Locarno as well as the New Talent Grant Pix in Copenhagen last week. It tells the story of a young physiotherapist struggling to survive in an economically depressed mountain town in post-Communist Bulgaria, who forms an unlikely bond with one of her elderly patients.

The jury — comprised of producer Annika Rogell, directors Roland Vranik, Wayne Roberts and Frida Kempff, and actress Julia Ragnarsson – said the film was “an astonishing masterpiece. This is filmmaking of the highest order and marks the arrival of a new great within cinema. A film that will forever live in the hearts and minds of viewers. It is a true work of art and, simply put, is...

The Goteborg Film Festival is adding TV drama to its usual public film programme for its 2016 edition.

Goteborg (Jan 29-Feb 8) is already well known as a meeting place for the TV industry, because of its industry TV Drama Vision two-day programme.

Now the festival’s new TV section will showcase several Nordic programmes. They include:

The Most Forbidden (Sweden)

A miniseries by Tova Magnusson written by Asa Lantz based on Kerstin Thorvall’s 1976 autobiographical novel about a middle aged woman’s desires.

Follow the Money (Denmark)

A drama series from Jeppe Gjervig Gram and Per Fly starring Bo Larsen as a detective investigating how a company might have been involved in a death on the Danish coast.

Occupied (Norway)

Based on a Jo Nesbo idea, this story looks at a Norwegian prime minister in a fictitious near future when he wants to shut down fossil fuel production, leading Russia to invade Norway.

Trapped (Iceland...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

The Stockholm International Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its 25th edition, with more than 200 films from 60+ countries screening from Nov 5-16.

The festival opens with Mikael Marcimain’s hotly anticipated adaptation of Klas Östergren’s postwar Swedish classic Gentlemen [pictured].

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman will be the centerpiece film of the festival and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild will close.

“We are extra proud to present a record breaking program when celebrating our 25th anniversary,” said festival director Git Scheynius.

This year’s spotlight theme is hope, and films selected in that programme include Richard Raymond’s Desert Dancer, Hong Khaou’s Lilting, Shira Geffen’s Self Made and Stephen Daldry’s Trash.

Uma Thurman will be honoured with the Stockholm Achievement Award and give a public talk followed by a screening of Kill Bill 1 & 2.

Mike Leigh will also be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award and will give a talk and screen Mr. Turner.

Ai...

Some quickie casting bits you should know about... First, Thom Barry ("Cold Case") has joined the cast of TNT’s drama series "Perception" in a recurring role, playing a Special Agent In Charge William Parsons, who's in charge of the Chicago FBI office and series star Rachel Leigh Cook's boss, who is described as skeptical and no-nonsense. Second, Ashley Walters has joined the cast of Jim Gillespie's kidnapping thriller "Take Down," which stars Jeremy Sumpter, Ed Westwick, Phoebe Tonkin, Sebastian Koch, Dominic Sherwood, Julia Ragnarsson, Max Deacon and Elliot Knight, and focuses on the reckless sons and daughters of...