Two men in a secluded cabin are haunted by their dead relationship.
I was privileged enough to be given the chance to watch a screener of this film. Rift (aka Rökkur) an LGBT thriller set in Iceland about a dark past and secrets.
The filming was spectacular; showcasing the breathtaking beauty of Iceland, with sweeping panoramic shots, wonderful close ups during the more intimate scenes and great angles all round.
The story starts with an unexpected phonecall from Einar (Sigurður Þór Ãskarsson), months after Gunnar (Björn Stefánsson) ended the relationship. Worried about the state of Einar’s mental health Gunnar travels to Rökkur, a remote town where Einar’s family have a holiday home.
Filmed in a very small space for most of the story, the two actors do a masterful job of drawing you in, while the story gives you just enough information to keep you hooked without revealing too much of the story.
Dancing around their feelings for each other while dealing with some seriously creepy nocturnal happenings keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole film through.
The only criticism I have of this film is the ending. It all felt a bit rushed and I have so many unanswered questions about what happened and whether it was all in Gunnar’s head, or if it was real. What was the hand under the bed? Who was the killer? Was there a killer?
I feel with some more time at the end of the film a lot more things could have been explained.
However, I really enjoyed the film overall. It was very immersive, beautiful and well written. I will definitely watch it again if only to figure out what the heck happens in the end!
