“The Innocents” reinforces the old adage “kids can be cruel”. The trailer for the mix of fantasy drama and gut-wrenching horror, which was enthusiastically celebrated by DashFUN, among others, promises a unique cinema experience.
In “The InnocentsThe sisters Ida (Rakel Lenora Fløttum) and Anna (Alva Brynsmo Ramstad) move with their parents (Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Morten Svartveit) to a high-rise estate. Little Ida in particular is having a hard time losing her familiar surroundings.
Again and again she takes out her frustration and helplessness on objects, animals, but also on her older sister. Anna is an easy target for Ida’s tantrums because she can’t fight back or ask for help since the girl has a form of autism that leaves her speechless and isolated in her own world.
At the local playground, the two make new friends in Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim) and Ben (Sam Ashraf). The little one has telepathic powers and the boy has telekinetic powers, which they not only use for innocent play, but for really cruel purposes…
“The Innocents” had its world premiere at the legendary Cannes Film Festival in July 2021 and received enthusiastic reviews. In September 2021, the title then launched nationwide in its Norwegian homeland, before embarking on a triumphal procession through many of the most renowned festivals in Europe and North America. On April 14, 2022, “The Innocents” will be released in German cinemas nationwide.
5 stars: “The Innocents” is a masterpiece
Our editor-in-chief Christoph Petersen already saw “The Innocents” at last year’s Fantasy Filmfest, where it was shown as the center piece. At the end of his DashFUN review, which received the highest rating of five stars, Christoph sums it up: “Mercilessly evil and mercilessly good at the same time! “The Innocents” may come across as a sandbox version of the ‘X-Men’ at its core, but despite the childlike protagonists* it is a masterpiece that is as radical as it is devastating.”
The film was directed by Eskil Vogt, who is delivering his second work as a director after “Blind”. So far, however, the man from the Norwegian capital has been best known for his screenplays. Vogt penned films ranging from good to brilliant, such as “Auf Beginning”, “Oslo, 31. August”, “Louder Than Bombs”, “Thelma” and “The Worst Man in the World” – all shot by his friend Joachim Trier. Incidentally, the author was just nominated for an Oscar for the latter script. “The worst person in the world” starts on June 2, 2022 on German screens.