"Skuggornas hus" (1996) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Mikael Håfström

Writer:

Bjarne Reuter (writer)

Release Date:

19 maaliskuu 1996 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Cast

Hanna Alström	...	Betty
Peter Eggers	...	Anders
Moa Gammel	...	Vibe
Barbro Hiort af Ornäs	...	Miss Wagner
Åke Lindman	...	Old gas station keeper
Frej Lindqvist	...	Levin
Gunilla Röör	...	Gia
Emelie Rosenqvist	...	Vanessa
Jesper Salén	...	Mauritz
Stefan Sauk	...	Henrik
Gustaf Skarsgård	...	Julius "J.B" Bloomendolf
Peter Viitanen	...	Alexander
Rakel Wärmländer	...	Tina

Also Known As:

House of Shadows

Runtime:

Sweden:55 min (3 Episodes)

Country:

Sweden | Denmark | Norway

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Company:

SVT Drama

Trivia:

Vaguely based on actual events. During the 60s, an entire school class disappeared during a school trip to Gotland. The theories of what happened to them has been widely regarded as one of the most popular urban legends during on Gotland the last hundred years.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene in which Henrik accidentally cuts his finger, you obviously see the cut on one side of the finger. But the blood is dripping from the backside (about where his nail should be).

Quotes:

Julius "J.B" Bloomendolf: [comming up from the food cellar, runs through the hallway while looking for Vanessa, whos reflection he suddenly discovers in the mirror] Where have you been? Everyone has gone mad, they're all looking for you.
Vanessa: I was just outside, having some fresh air
Julius "J.B" Bloomendolf: The water tank in the cellar... I don't know what happened!
Vanessa: I think it's the heart of the house, pumping the water through the veins of the house.
Julius "J.B" Bloomendolf: [almost imperceptible shakes his head, walks up to the front door] Henrik! Gia! I've found her!
Vanessa: [follows J.B with her eyes, taking no note of his statement, and whispers] The ghosts of the dead lives in the tank

Soundtrack:

Ballad of a thin man

A really creepy movie!

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I've only seen two other Swedish horror movies in my life (Det Okända and Besökarna), but this is the best Swedish horror movie! I have only seen it once, and that was enough! I had nightmares for weeks, and miss Wagner kept haunting me in my nightmares ...

Gia and her class are on vacation on Gotland, when something starts to happen in the house. Gia, who just got out of mental hospital after being witness of a young girl getting killed by a train, is the only one who claims that there actually are ghosts in the house! The rest of the class first believes that she is about to freak out, when they also realize there are ghosts! Thrill and adventure until the very last moment. A great surprising end on top of all!

The thing is however - due to the rumors of being a "true story", it gives this film somewhat of a psychological twist; does all that stuff really happen? Or is it just in Gias head, and all the kids being so afraid, they start to believe in the unbelievable? And all the things going on, one can't stop wounder when one finished watching - what EXACTLY did happen to the class? They all disappeared, that's for sure, but how? Did they all drown and got eaten by fishes, or what?