Bodom

Hungary 2014
produced by
Gergö Elekes, József Gallai, Viola Major for Elekes Pictures
directed by József Gallai, Gergö Elekes
starring Vivien Turzó, Bence Kovács, Kata Tábori, Dániel Szabó, Sándor Czeglédi, Gergely Garamszegi, Kriszta Vörösházi, Zsuzsanna Rednik, Katalin Cseh, Gergö Elekes, József Németh, Péter Krenács, József Gallai
idea by Gergö Elekes, Ákos Varga, screenplay by József Gallai, music by Gergö Elekes, Ákos Tomena

review by
Mike Haberfelner

For a university project, Annikki (Vivien Turzó) has decided to investigate the murders at Bodom Lake, a triple (almost quadruple) murder that happened 50 years ago but has gone unsolved ever since. To do the camerawork for her, she has brought Pietari (Bence Kovács), who's been her best friend for ages ... but he's also madly in love with her, a love that is unrequited, not only but also for something that happened in their past together.

The whole enterprise gets off to a less than promising start, with their rental car being a scrapheap, the hut they've rented being an unheated shithole (and it's winter), and the scenery - basically a frozen over lake and white-in-white surroundings - doing little to lift their spirits. Furthermore, the definite clue Annikki was hoping for just doesn't materialize itself, and when they hear spooky sounds, they can alwaysw be tracked back to tourists visiting the area. Well, at least they meet Inkeri (Kata Tábori) and Jussi (Dániel Szabó), who are visiting the area as well, know a little about its history - and invite themselves to a party at Annikki and Pietari's place ... but as soon as they're gone again, Annikki and Pietari's rental car is gone, and when they try to make it to Inkeri and Jussi's place on foot, they find their corpses on the way ... and eventually they have to learn they are not in this neck of the woods alone, and whoever it is who's there with them - well, to put a positive spin to it, he might help them find out what happened 50 years ago ... just a bit too actively ...

Bodom is (at least presumably) Hungary's first found footage movie - and it's a pretty good one, too, as it doesn't just follow the stereotype of coupling "things that go bump at night" with shaky handheld camerawork but actually tells a well thought-through story with surprises up until the end, many of which also shinbe a different light on earlier scenes and thus are proof of clever storytelling. Now add to that a scenery that in all its white-on-white flatness is all that creepier, camerawork that relies rather little on just shaking the thing around really fast to suggest excitement, and a likeable couple of leads, and you've got yourself a nice little film.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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