
I’d like to introduce you to an early example of psychological horror, titled Vargtimmen a.k.a., The Hour of the Wolf.
A paragon of art house cinema from the masterful Ingmar Bergman, the film stars Liv Ullman (known for Persona) and the legendary Max von Sydow (Seventh Seal, Game of Thrones, The Exorcist). It tells the tale of a painter, Johan, who has moved with his wife Alma to a secluded island in hopes of finding inspiration and peace to help with his work.
However, as Johan’s insomnia grows, he begins to have encounters with strange beings who at first appear human, but prove to be something much more sinister. Alma at first doubts her husband’s sanity, attributing these creatures and the horrific incidents he describes to madness, but she is compelled to re-examine her beliefs when Johan goes missing.
Told via flashbacks as Alma relays her experience and events described in Johan’s diary, Vargtimmen is a horror film truly like no other. It is a slow burn, building up a sense of paranoia and disquiet as the viewer attempts to discern delusion from reality, in hopes of unraveling the mysterious phenomena surrounding Johan’s disappearance. Ullman’s performance is riveting, and Von Sydow delivers a fascinating portrayal of a man falling into the throes of madness.
More Reviews:
Speak No Evil (2022) Review – The Subversion of Bourgeois Expectations
Following an Italian family vacation, Danish trio Bjorn (Morten Burian), Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), and their young daughter take up an invitation to visit the Netherlands, at the behest of…
Mad God (2021) Film Review – A Flawed Technical Wonder
There aren’t many people who can say they have taken thirty years to complete a project. At the current rate, George R.R. Martin might be able to when he finally…
Carved: The Slit-Mouth Woman (2007) Film Review – A Dark Portrayal of Child Abuse and Urban Legend
While this film is initially easy to write off as superficial with cheaper scares, I feel that it deserves much more credit and a deeper dissection. With a severe spoiler…
Tokyo Decadence (1992) Film Review – The Decadence of Man
Best known as the author of the novel Audition, which inspired the popular film of the same name, Ryû Murakami is a prolific novelist who has a large body of…
Tokyo Grand Guignol (2015) Review – Four Blood Soaked Macabre Tales From Japan
The horror anthology has become a beloved sub-genre among horror fans, lading to higher scrutiny when faced with nostalgia that comes from such classic titles as Creepshow 1 & 2…
On the 3rd Day Film Review – Fantasia Festival 2021
Anyone who’s been in a car accident understands disorientation; the lack of clarity of what just happened, the realization that time does indeed slow down, it’s not some old wife’s…
Eden is a Soong-type android learning to pass as human through studies of pop culture, humor, and dark fantasy. Perhaps one day she will learn to love and pronounce “hyoo-mahn” correctly. She was written analyses of music, video games, comics, and film. You can find her other writings on Vocal and WordPress.