Bodom (film)

Bodom
Theatrical poster
Directed byTaneli Mustonen
Written byTaneli Mustonen
Aleksi Hyvärinen
Starring
CinematographyDaniel Lindholm
Edited byAleksi Raij
Music byPanu Aaltio
Production
company
Don Films
Release date
  • 19 August 2016 (2016-08-19)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryFinland
LanguagesFinnish, English

Bodom (internationally Lake Bodom) is a 2016 Finnish slasher film directed by Taneli Mustonen. It is inspired by, but not based upon, the 1960 Lake Bodom murders,[1] telling the story of a group of Finnish friends who decide to go camping by Lake Bodom to reconstruct the 1960 murders, but something goes wrong.

Bodom was invited to Cannes for an event organized by the Marché du Film, for which the films were chosen by a joint jury of the organizers of the event (the Cannes Film Market and the Canadian Frontières Film Event).[2]

Plot

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A group of friends, Nora, Elias, Atte and Ida, go to Lake Bodom to camp and reconstruct the 1960 murders there. Ida has been rejected at school for her nude pictures. Her fascination with Elias is because he is accused of taking the pictures.

At night at Bodom, with Ida and Atte in the tent, someone grabs them through the tent. Atte goes out, and a mysterious figure stabs him. Nora and Elias run to the scene, but too late. The dying Atte tells them to escape before the killer returns to the tent.

The trio tries to escape the car, but Nora's leg gives out, and she tells Elias and Ida to continue without her. Elias tries to explain to the angry Ida that he has never taken any nude pictures of her. At that moment, a mysterious figure stabs Elias from behind, killing him. Nora, who has plotted with Ida to kill Elias and Atte, who ruined Ida's life, is revealed as the killer. The girls put on protective clothing and throw the boys' bodies into Lake Bodom. The girls plan to escape with their car, but realize that the car keys are in Elias' pocket. Ida desperately dives into the lake to pick up the keys, and Nora can see movement in the woods near the lake.

Ida, on the car ride home, asks Nora if her nude photos really exist. Nora breaks down and reveals that she is in love with Ida, and could not bear to tell her. It is revealed that at a student party, Ida passed out from drinking, and Nora took her to bed to sleep. After that, Nora began to spread rumors of Ida’s nude pictures, which didn’t really exist. Nora lied to Ida that Elias had taken the pictures. Ida hoped Elias and Atte would die, at which point the duo began planning a boys' killing trip. Ida is shocked to hear the truth and threatens to tell everything, with Nora hitting her in the face with a wrench. Ida gets angry and attacks Nora, who is driving the car. The girls drive into the ditch.

An unknown man offers to help the girls and tow them to town. Nora asks Ida for the knife with which she killed Atte, but there is no knife. The girls realize that the man driving the car is a murderer, at which point the tow truck driven by the man begins to accelerate so that the girls' car flies to its roof. Ida is injured in the crash, and she is unable to move. Nora tries to escape, but the man's hound catches Nora.

Nora and Ida wake up in front of a campfire, bound and their lips glued shut. The man then kills Nora in front of Ida. At dawn, Ida wakes up in the yard of her own house in shock. The bodies of Nora and the boys are found and Ida is accused of the murders of her friends, and no one believes the truth told by Ida.

The case is widely reported and inspired by new campers arriving at Lake Bodom. But unbeknownst to everyone, the mysterious murderer still stalks all those who have entered the woods.

Cast

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  • Nelly Hirst-Gee as Ida
  • Mimosa Willamo as Nora
  • Mikael Gabriel as Elias
  • Santeri Helinheimo Mäntylä as Atte
  • Pirjo Lankinen as mother
  • Ilkka Heiskanen as father
  • Sami Eerola as hunter
  • Otso Ahosola as young hunter
  • Ville Saksela as teen
  • Iiris Kankkunen as teen

Reception

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In his review for Ilta-Sanomat, Tarmo Poussu called Bodom "the first Finnish horror film that meets the international standards".[3] Jutta Sarhimaa from Helsingin Sanomat gave the film four out of five stars, complimenting the young actors, visual production and dialogue.[4]

Bodom received three Jussi Awards nominations for Best Picture, Female Lead (Mimosa Willamo) and Sound Design; it won the sound design award.[5] Mimosa Willamo also won the best actress award at Screamfest in 2016.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kirssi, Elina. "Bodom-ohjaaja Taneli Mustonen: "Elokuva valmistui vasta eilen illalla"". Iltalehti. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Taneli Mustosen BODOM on valittu Cannesin elokuvajuhlien genre-tapahtumaan" (in Finnish). Future Films Oy. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. ^ Poussu, Tarmo. ""Suomen ensimmäinen kansainvälisen tason kauhuelokuva" – IS:n kriitikko hehkuttaa Luokkakokous-ohjaajan Bodom-filmiä". Ilta-Sanomat. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  4. ^ Sarhimaa, Jutta. "Bodominjärven todellisesta kolmoismurhasta syntyi häiritsevää kauhua". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  5. ^ Määttänen, Juuso (24 March 2017). "Tässä ovat Jussi-gaalan kaikki voittajat: Hymyilevä mies on paras elokuva - voitti yhteensä 8 palkinto" (in Finnish). Iltalehti. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  6. ^ Screamfest 2016: Winners Announced! Screamfest, 30 October 2016.
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