Movie Review: ‘The Unthinkable’

Review by James Lindorf

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if someone edited an emotional family drama like “The Squid and the Whale” and the insanity of a Gerard Butler ____ has fallen movie into one film? Well, wonder no more thanks to writer/director Victor Danell, writer/star Christoffer Nordenrot and their newest project, “The Unthinkable.” Broken families, terrorist activities, and Midsummer traditions shape this interesting Swedish take on the political action thriller that will be available through VOD and in a limited number of theaters on May 7th.

Exiting the military and finding a new normal in the civilian world can be a struggle for many soldiers. Living and working in rural Vånga, Sweden, ex-soldier Björn (Jesper Barkselius) still views himself as a commanding officer and expects a certain level of respect and satisfaction from his new life. Feeling pushed aside, Björn has become a rage-filled bully who drives his family away despite his love for his wife and son Alex (Christoffer Nordenrot). His reaction on Christmas morning perfectly highlights this dichotomy. Alex had asked for a guitar, and his parents told him that it would probably be too expensive, but they would do what they could. In secret, Björn began to handcraft a gift for his son while his wife started to squirrel away money to buy him the guitar. Each is going about providing for their son in different ways without telling the other what they were doing. On Christmas morning, when Björn learns there is another guitar, he smashes it to pieces with the one he built. This outburst is the final straw in his marriage, and in the night, she leaves him and Alex behind to make a new life. Whether it is a case of nature or nurture, this toxic lack of communication was passed down to Alex. It wreaks havoc on every relationship he ever has. It cost him his mother, father, and Anna (Lisa Henni), the only girl he ever loved.

Except for a couple of news reports and a scene of Björn and his coworkers trading conspiracy theories, there is almost no hint at the danger that will befall the people of Sweden. For 50 minutes of a 129-minute runtime, “The Unthinkable” seems rather mundane because we have all seen versions of this story play out on film and in real life multiple times. Alex has become a world-famous musician and is as grumpy as he is successful. He still pines for the way music felt when he played with Anna, but his pride and insecurities won’t let him pick up the phone. Then everything takes a turn, and the remainder of the runtime is an action thriller. It starts like the fantastic “The Wave” with everyone rushing and fighting to make it to a bunker from the impending death. Unlike that movie, the threat isn’t as simple or predictable as a wave. They don’t know who is attacking them, why they are doing it, or how far they are willing to go. The who and why is mostly speculation straight out of 80s American cinema, but the measures they take are purely next century.

There is a lot of good action in the second half of the film. Gunplay, helicopter fights, and even Björn was doing his best to be a deadly version of Kevin McCallister. Gone are the micro machines and feathers; instead, there are bombs and chainsaws. The action will wake you up and keep you on your toes. “The Unthinkable” has superb cinematography and convincing but emotionally distant characters. Because they tried to have this duality of drama and action, the film is overly long. You are constantly wondering when the action will start for the first 50 minutes. After all that investment, the conclusion to the drama is underwhelming because it becomes a secondary focus at best. Danell did a lot well, but maybe in the three years this film sat on a shelf, they should have shot a few extra scenes and released two separate and more satisfying films. “The Unthinkable” is not not entertaining. Still, it lacks the emotion and the action to truly satisfy, but for technical ability, acting, and spunk for tackling such an undertaking, I give it a 3 out of 5.

Genre: Action, Mystery And Thriller
Original Language: Swedish
Director: Victor Danell
Producer: Albin Pettersson, Olle Tholén
Writer: Victor Danell, Christoffer Nordenrot
Release Date: May 7th, 2021
Runtime: 2h 9m
Production Co: Crazy Pictures