22 July (2018)
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A harrowing dramatization of the 2011 Norway attacks explores the immediate violence of a massacre and the long, complex legal and emotional aftermath for the survivors.
The story
On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik, disguised as a police officer, detonates a van filled with explosives in the executive government quarter of Oslo, Norway, causing multiple casualties. Simultaneously, a summer camp for the Workers' Youth League is organized on the island of Utøya. When the teenagers learn of the bombing, Breivik arrives at the ferry landing, claiming to be a police officer sent to secure the island. He gains access to the camp, where he begins a violent massacre against the children and staff, forcing survivors to hide and seek safety amidst the chaos.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik detonates a van of explosives in Oslo's government quarter before traveling to the island of Utøya. There, he murders dozens of people at a Workers' Youth League summer camp. Among the survivors is Viljar Hanssen, who hides with his brother Torje. Breivik eventually surrenders to a tactical team and is interrogated, claiming to be the leader of the 'Knights Templar.' He is initially diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but seeks to be declared competent to legitimize his actions. The film follows his lawyer, Geir Lippestad, who navigates the moral and legal complexities of defending Breivik while seeking an insanity defense. Meanwhile, Viljar survives with life-changing injuries and eventually testifies in court about the massacre. Breivik is sentenced to 21 years, with the possibility of extension if he remains a danger to society.
- Original title
- Norway
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 143
- Production countries
- Norway; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Greengrass
- Writers
- Paul Greengrass · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anders Danielsen Lie; Jon Øigarden; Thorbjørn Harr; Jonas Strand Gravli; Ola G. Furuseth; Ulrikke Hansen Døvigen; Isak Bakli Aglen; Maria Bock; Seda Witt
- Genres
- crime drama
- Themes
- terrorism; aftermath of violence; legal ethics; survival
- Tone and mood
- hard-hitting; visceral; emotionally resonant
- Premise and plot tags
- non-fiction; true crime; historical drama; terrorism
- Source material / true-story basis
- One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway — and Its Aftermath by Åsne Seierstad
- Content notes
- terrorism
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled to be released under the title 'Norway'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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