Worldwide Horror Film Review: I Remember You

 

Title: I Remember You (Icelandic: Ég man þig)

Director: Óskar Thór Axelsson
Studio: Zik Zak Filmworks
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Supernatural  
Format: Streaming

I Remember You has a braided plot made up of three plotlines that interconnect. During the present day, Freyr, a psychologist, is brought onto a strange case involving a group of former classmates found dead with crosses carved into their backs. Freyr has an interesting past, including a son who went missing three years ago. His body was never found, which drew attention from the media. There is no chance he is alive, as the boy was diabetic and disappeared without his insulin.

The second line follows a woman named Katrin, three years before Freyr’s strange case. She, her husband, and her best friend travel to a remote Icelandic island with hopes of turning an abandoned home into a guesthouse. Right away, Katrin, who suffered a traumatic stillbirth in the months prior, notices odd things around the home – sounds, footsteps, someone calling faintly to her, “Mom!”

The third plotline follows a group of schoolchildren from the late fifties who bullied one of their schoolmates, a boy who seemingly disappeared without a trace. In the present day, Freyr’s investigation into the strange case begins to tie in with the loss of his son, which also connect with Katrin’s arrival on the island and the schoolchildren’s vicious bullying.

The movie starts slowly but moves intentionally and meticulously forward. The tension picks up almost as soon as Katrin’s group settles into the abandoned home they are renovating and doesn’t let up. This is a plot that is sure of itself. Most everything that happens foreshadows what is coming. The tension is aided by stunning cinematography. The views and environment – cold blue sea, clean snow, fog hanging everywhere – create an achingly beautiful setting, but one that also feels unnaturally still and barren. It aids the overall tone of the movie, which is tense but also very sad. All three storylines are woven together well enough that the audience is never confused or left wondering how they relate to one another. This allows us focus on the building tension, which grows well, quickly, and sustainably.

I loved the pacing and how well the plots were braided together. There are a few weaker performances, but mostly all the actors felt convincing, especially those playing Katrin and Freyr, who make some bad choices but are ultimately very interesting and easy to root for. The movie is similar in tone to a Tana French book – a mystery paired with a bit of the supernatural – and is equally as enjoyable.

Overall: nothing revolutionary, but a solidly plotted mystery with some sad and scary supernatural moments in between. A good watch for a rainy Saturday night.

Purchase Link: I Remember You - Apple TV

Review By Chelsea Catherine
Website

 
Previous
Previous

Theatre Review: Pontypool

Next
Next

Welcome to Worldwide Horror