Based on actual events, a teenage girl tries to find her sister and survive when a gunman goes on a murderous rampage on a small island called Utoya....
On July 22 2011, a lone extremist went on a murderous rampage on the Norwegian island of Utoya. He shot and killed 77 people, wounded nearly 100 and hundreds were left traumatised. It took him 72 minutes to unleash the horror on the young people there. Prior to this event, there was a bombing in Oslo on the same day. This powerful film opens with CCTV footage of the bombing in Oslo. The focus then shifts to events on the island.
"You will never understand." says Kaja the girl this film follows when we first see her. And in truth, we, the audience won't ever understand why the gunman, never named in the credits of the film, did what he did. And the film never even tries to make us understand. Instead, what this film does, is show the terror those on the island went through during the rampage.
The gunman is rarely glimpsed in this film. We do get a fleeting viewings of him, but mostly what we get of him is the sound of gunfire, although there is a truly tense moment when Kaja is hiding in a tent and someone, who may be the gunman, may be passing outside. It's possibly the only moment of the film, that plays like a gripping horror or thriller.
Instead, director Erik Poppe focuses solely on Kaja. Poppe made the decision to shoot the film in one single take, following Kaja as she looks for her sister while the gunshots go on all around her. I mentioned how the whole event took 72 minutes and by choosing to shoot the film in this way, we get that entire time covered, as Kaja frantically looks for her. The writers of the film have used fictional characters rather than real people who were there, but have based the film on accounts by survivors. It often isn't easy to truly capture the confusion and horror of a situation, but Poppe and his cameraman, Martin Otterback, by using the one take idea do it superbly.
Watching the film, you do feel yourself holding your breath as we hear the shots, see characters cowering and hiding unsure of what to do and where to go. You really have no idea if those we see will live or die. There's an emotionally powerful and devastating scene where Kaja discovers a wounded girl that will haunt you after, much like the film will by its end.
The key here is a stunning performance from Andrea Berntzen as Kaja. She truly remarkable, conveying the horror she is going through, while also hoping to both escape and also find her sister. She is the sole focus of the film and pulls it off with conviction. There's a moment where she falls apart towards the end as the whole ordeal catches up with her and it is heartbreaking to watch.
The film is never sensationalist. We see some bodies, but it never lingers on them. There is no use of music, aside from a song we hear near the beginning before the shootings begin. The film wants to be as 'real' as it can be. It wants to convey the horror of the day and doesn't need to add anything to bring that out. By focusing on the victims rather than giving time to the gunman, it wants to show the ordeal those on the island experienced and it truly does that.
I have seen a number of films this year. I've seen films that have scared the hell out of me, made me emotional and are devastating. But Utoya-July 22 is one of only a few films that have haunted truly haunted me after.
It is powerful, it is heartbreaking. It is devastating.
And the best film I've seen all year.
Rating: 5/5
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