It is always fascinating to discover something new and unexpected in a particular movie year. It’s always surprising to see movies that I had no prior knowledge or expectation regarding them. Netflix did exactly that with their recent foreign language film “The Trip” an extraordinarily hard-to-pin down Norwegian movie by director and co-writer Tommy Wirkola.
As to why I refer to “The Trip” as impossible to label is that it does not fit neatly into any one genre. It is the sort of movie that breaks all expectations in every way possible, filled with both narrative and visual surprises. To say the least, it does undergo changes from one genre to another, rarely settling in one for long. As an example, sometimes it works as a severe marital drama, at other times, it is pitch black comedy. One moment it’s a crime thriller and then without warning it drowns you in shocking body horror. There is even a scene where “Funny Games” is achieved with all the emotional and physical brutality of that Haneke film.
In the film, Noomi Rapace and Aksel Hennie take on the roles of a troubled couple, Lisa and Lars, who embark on a weekend trip to the mountain for some quality time together. They aim to spend some time in a cabin built by Lars’ father, located by a breathtaking lake. Lars works as a director, albeit a deeply unhappy one, perpetually stuck in the cycle of making low-quality television soap operas. His father (Nils Ole Oftebro) constantly reminds him that he does not possess the talent of “Hitchcock”. At the same time, Lisa is an out-of-work theater actress who is passionate about acting but is struggling to land roles. Both of them are agitated with each other due to being unhappy in life, but at least they have a partner to lean on, right?
This is why they escape to the mountains for a long overdue break but struggle to contain their differences on the way. The unfortunate reality is that reaching the cabin was where the argument peaked and it seemed all hope for recovery was lost. The couple, who are clearly at odds with each other, are left to ponder what brought them there in the first place. Perhaps, like most dramatic films, they are able to rekindle their flame and rediscover the ones that had brought the couple together. But first, they need to work through the hefty hurdles that lie in front of them. It just so happens, that they each made separate plans walking into the cabin whose goal fell along the lines of murdering each other’s spouse. Do you see my point? The struggle is real.
I do not want to say more because sometimes ‘the less you know, the better’ is the best strategy. This is exactly where the film excels. A well-executed twist that is concealed for long enough so that the audience is totally blindsided by it. It starts pretty much as soon as they get to the cabin, “Home sweet home,” Lisa says, and with that, we are warned that things are going to go off the rails. The lead performances are commendable, especially Rapace, who has an underrated ability to convey emotion without words.
Still let me point this out clearly, “The Trip” is not a movie for the sensitive types. It’s a lot more graphic than the previous movie, and some scenes are highly uncomfortable. It’s brilliantly scripted and somehow merged with this evil sense of humor that shines through at the oddest moments. At times I was so shocked and jolted that I didn’t know how to react, and yet at other times, I found myself laughing uncontrollably. The best part is how Wirkola manages to keep it together. Not perfectly (the poop gag is certainly a low point), but effectively enough to keep the audience amused guessing what will come next. For those interested in such material, “The Trip” has been released on Netflix.
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