Gæsterne (2022)
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A Danish couple's weekend getaway with a Dutch couple takes a terrifying turn as the boundaries of hospitality are pushed to the extreme.
The story
While on vacation in Tuscany, a Danish couple, Bjørn and Louise, meet a Dutch couple, Patrick and Karin. The Dutch couple invites the Danes to their remote rural house in the Netherlands for a weekend holiday. During the stay, Louise begins to feel uncomfortable with the hosts' passive-aggressive behavior and strange treatment of their son, Abel. As the weekend progresses, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and unsettling, forcing the Danish couple to navigate a situation that escalates from social awkwardness into a dangerous and high-stakes confrontation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
While vacationing in Tuscany, Bjørn and Louise meet Patrick and Karin. The Dutch couple invites the Danes to their remote home in the Netherlands. Louise becomes uneasy by the hosts' behavior toward their son, Abel, who is mute. During a dinner, Patrick's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and aggressive. Later, Bjørn discovers a cabin filled with photos of other families, suggesting the Dutch couple are serial killers. He finds Abel's body in a pool and realizes they are being hunted. After their car breaks down, the situation turns violent. Patrick beats Bjørn, and Karin cuts off the tongue of the Danish girl, Agnes. The couple is eventually taken to a quarry where they are forced into a ditch and brutally stoned to death. In the aftermath, a now-mute Agnes is adopted by the Dutch couple to serve as their next victim's bait.
- Original title
- Speak No Evil
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- Denmark; Netherlands
- Original languages
- English; Danish; Dutch
- Directors
- Christian Tafdrup
- Writers
- Christian Tafdrup · writer
- Cast and characters
- Morten Burian · Bjørn; Sidsel Siem Koch · Louise; Fedja van Huêt · Patrick; Karina Smulders · Karin; Liva Forsberg · Agnes; Marius Damslev · Abel
- Genres
- psychological horror; thriller
- Themes
- the danger of inaction; social commentary; the cost of politeness
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful; unsettling; sinister
- Setting
- Tuscany, Italy and a remote rural house in the Netherlands.
- Premise and plot tags
- psychological horror; thriller; serial killers; home invasion
- Reception
- The film was well-received by critics, who praised the acting, direction, and its social commentary. It was described as a 'brilliantly provocative' and 'fearless' work that explores the dangers of passivity in the face of evil.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- The film was premiered in the Midnight section at the 38th Sundance Film Festival.; The director, Christian Tafdrup, is primarily an actor.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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