Blasted
Scandinavia’s lamest bachelor party weekend descends into bedlam with the advent of an alien invasion. Not funny. On any level.
Belly laughs and horror are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It’s just a hard act to pull off. Christopher Smith’s Severance (2006) was a brilliant example of the blend and shares a number of narrative similarities with Martin Sofiedal’s Blasted, although in tone the latter is more akin to Mike Hodges’ disastrous Morons from Outer Space (1985). The new film – Sofiedal’s sophomore effort – opens (post prologue) with Sebastian (Axel Bøyum) rehearsing a pitch for an investment opportunity to a hot new client, Kasper (André Sørum). But being the über-nerd he is, Sebastian is dismissed by Kasper as ‘Rain Man’. However, if we think Seb is a schmuck, you should see his friends, who gang up to give him a bachelor party weekend par excellence, with fun quizzes, Ludo and sing-alongs. And to show that Seb is more Tom Cruise than Dustin Hoffman, they invite Kasper along as well. As it turns out, Kasper is as much of a geek as the others and is no match for the alien invasion that disrupts their best laid plans…
Sometimes it’s reassuring to encounter a foreign-language film that is as inept as its English-speaking counterpart. After all, it was Norway that brought us the award-laden The Worst Person in the World (2021), Headhunters (2011), Elling (2001) and Pathfinder (1987). Nonetheless, this Nordic ‘Nerds vs. Aliens’ is as cack-handed as many a Simon Pegg-Nick Frost rip-off, except with better scenery. The bossy music and boisterous sound effects undermine any serious comic threat, while every member of the cast mugs shamelessly. Perhaps only Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, as a police officer in the remote badlands of Hessdalen, offers a shred of credibility, even though she looks eleven months pregnant. Still, it’s always interesting to see how other cultures absorb English-speaking ways, with the Norwegian for “next level” being “next level” and the nickname for Seb’s childhood friend being “Sean Beam.” The cinema teaches us so much.
N.B. This has nothing to do with the Sarah Kane play of the same name.
Original title: Blasted - Gutta vs. Aliens.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Axel Bøyum, Fredrik Skogsrud, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, André Sørum, Evelyn Rasmussen Osazuwa, Mathias Luppichini, Eirik Hallert, Ingar Helge Gimle, Rune Temte.
Dir Martin Sofiedal, Pro Are Heidenstrom, Screenplay Emanuel Nordrum, Ph Martin Solvang, Pro Des Sunniva Rostad, Ed Jens Peder Hertzberg, Music Roy Westad, Sound Vidar Grande.
Miso Film Norge-Netflix.
114 mins. Norway. 2022. UK and US Rel: 28 June 2022. Cert. 15.
