False Trail

Sundvall's movies often deal with the same theme: A lone person fighting against an evil establishment. Nevertheless, he always succeeds in making great movies. This movie, too, was very exciting and very intense. It was even more intense then Jägarna 1, its predecessor. The acting was first- rate. Especially Lassgård and Stormare did absolutely magnificent jobs.

The nature sceneries were great to watch, too, especially for me who have never yet seen that part of Sweden or Finland.

I'm most likely going to buy this one when it is (very soon) released on DVD and blu-ray.

False Trail is named, and put under the heading, of a thriller. Because of the lack of actually thrilling thrillers, this title didn't mean much to me. But Kjell Sundvall's movie really does as it says on the tin.

In this Swedish sequel, we follow Erik Bäckström, an aging policeman called down to his old home town where a young woman has gone missing. Here we watch a murder case unfold, and are not only confronted with Erik's painful past, but are lead into a deeper, more sinister mystery than we initially imagined.

What first hits you about this movie is the dark, dense setting. Set in the picturesque woods of Norrland Sweden, you're struck by wintry lakes and friendly faces. In the beginning, the characters seem like boring, basically normal people. But when we delve into the mystery, and the first inklings of doubt and suspicion creep in, things begin to escalate, and our opinions change at every twist.

This movie really kept me alive and thinking. Its plot twists were calculated and realistic, and the acting was superb. Peter Stromare's character was fantastically played; everything we once thought we knew about him is warped and distorted until we see the character that he is. Through tongue-in-cheek gore and unprecedented acts of violence, this story will make you jump in your seat and question every motive.

Without giving too much away, notice Sundvall's directing; cutting into the truth like a fly on the wall, and letting the chaos run wild around him, until the characters realise the daunting reality just a step too late. Excellently done. In total, a well thought-through movie that did indeed thrill.

"Jägarna 2" is a really powerful swedish crime thriller.

This film really shows how a good script can make up for minor editing and/or directorial mistakes. And even though that might sound harsh, altogether this was a great experience which gets the viewer hooked pretty much right from the start.

It not only uses the classical suspense a lá Hitchcock, but also makes one deal with feelings of injustice, tension and a need for gratification.

Also, compared to all the "cheap" crime thrillers out there, this one combines a good crime story with real characters, who have emotions and more importantly goals.

I'd definitely recommend this picture to everyone who wants to widen their horizon when it comes to films and stories of this particular genre.

FALSE TRAIL, a Swedish slice of crime noir, is a follow up to 1996's THE HUNTERS, and sees returning protagonist Erik Backstrom (Rolf Lassgard) back to solve more crimes in the chilly Scandinavian wilderness. Well, it took them fifteen years to make a sequel, but the wait was worth it: I find this to be a superior follow up in terms of excitement, thriller aspects, and pacing.

THE HUNTERS was a similarly-plotted story but had a different style of execution: it was darker, more of a family tragedy, and rather depressing. FALSE TRAIL is equally dark but has more of a conventional detective feel to it, a battle of wits between good and evil. Some viewers will find it the lesser piece, but I preferred it. It helps that Peter Stormare (FARGO) has a huge and complex role and is absolutely fantastic in it, the best work yet I've seen from the actor.

Inevitably, the taciturn and grumpy Backstrom is the film's guiding force, and Lassgard is a delight to watch as ever. The production values are better than ever, and Kjell Sundvall seems to have really grown as a director, crafting a well-polished and exciting thriller in which the stakes are never less than high. Unpredictable, involving, and harrowing, FALSE TRAIL is one to watch.

I'm really beginning to dig these Swedish/Nordic/Icelandic crime thrillers more and more. At the outset, the stories seem relatively simple, but as the film goes on, and with all the twists and turns presented, you begin to realize all is not as it seems on the surface.

Overall, I found no fault with the acting. Everyone played their part as they should. Direction was spot on. If I had a complaint it was the movie drags in spots. The Swedish hinterlands were also captured vividly by the cinematographer - pristine lakes, deep green forestry, wide multicolored skies, etc. Kind of reminds me of the Pacific Northwest.