Naboer Explained

Naboer
Next Door
Director:Pål Sletaune
Producer:Pål Sletaune
Turid Øversvee
Starring:Kristoffer Joner
Cecilie Mosli
Julia Schacht
Anna Bache-Wiig
Music:Simon Boswell
Cinematography:John Andreas Andersen
Editing:John Andreas Andersen
Darek Hodor
Distributor:Columbia TriStar
Runtime:75 minutes
Country:Norway
Language:Norwegian
Budget:NOK 15,155,100 (estimated)
Gross:$1,277,769[1]

Naboer (English: '''Next Door'''|italic=yes) is a 2005 Norwegian psychological thriller film, directed by Pål Sletaune. In the movie, the protagonist John (Kristoffer Joner) is drawn into a violent, sexual game by his two beautiful female neighbours. Naboer received an over-18 rating in Norway, which had only happened to four Norwegian movies before. Upon release it was well received by critics. Sletaune stated "I worked hard with Kristoffer Joner to make the character into something which would interest the audience".[2]

Plot

The main character, John (played by Kristoffer Joner), has just been dumped by his girlfriend Ingrid (Anna Bache-Wiig). He then becomes acquainted with his next-door neighbours, the beautiful sisters Anne (Cecilie Mosli) and Kim (Julia Schacht). The sisters know a strange amount of detail about him and it soon becomes clear that he is being entrapped in a twisted, psychological game.

Cast

ActorCharacter
Kristoffer JonerJohn
Cecilie MosliAnne
Julia SchachtKim
Anna Bache-WiigIngrid
Michael NyqvistAke
Øystein MartinsenPeter
Odd Arno Midtsjø Gammel Mann
Magne KipperrudKollega

Production

The movie was highly anticipated in Norway, particularly because of certain scenes with highly violent and sexual content.[3] For its cinematic review, Naboer received an over-18 rating, which had only happened to four Norwegian movies before, namely Pål Bang-Hansen's Douglas in 1970, Per Blom's Mother's house in 1974, Lasse Glomm's Stop it! in 1980 and Svend Wam's Hotel St. Pauli in 1987.[4]

Reception

At the time, Norwegian reviewers were highly positive to the movie. Jon Selås, writing for Verdens Gang, gave the movie six out of six points. Selås called Joner's performance the best of his career.[5] Dagbladet's Inger Bentzrud called the movie "intelligent", and gave it five out of six points.[6] The movie was seen by 108,096 people in Norway.[7]

Internationally, The Village Voice appreciated "the brilliant art direction and a gift for tension" but criticised the "classic misogynist panic" of the ending.[8] The Cineuropa review praised the "excellent cinematography, production design and a haunting score". Adrian Wootton commented that Naboer was "very high quality film-making and a roller coaster ride that you are unlikely to forget".[9]

As of 2019, Naboer consistently features in top ten lists of Scandinavian horror films.[10] [11]

Box office

The film took $1,277,769 worldwide after its release in 2005. When it was re-released in 2006, it took $19,677.

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Next Door . Box Office Mojo . 24 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224163219/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0453383/?ref_=bo_se_r_1 . 24 December 2019.
  2. News: van Hoeij . Boyd . Naoeber: Not the typical girls next door . 24 December 2019 . Cineuropa - the best of european cinema . 6 September 2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224171931/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/54479/ . 24 December 2019 . en.
  3. News: Het debut for Julia. Haga. Sverre Gunnar. 2007-02-17. Dagbladet. Norwegian. 2009-08-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20191224172752/https://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/het-debut-for-julia/66046048. 24 December 2019.
  4. Web site: Pål Sletaunes Naboer får 18 års grense. Krogstad. Kristian. 2005-03-01. Release.no. Norwegian. 2009-08-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20120226135658/http://www.release.no/artikkel.asp?ID=2033 . 26 February 2012.
  5. News: Sykt. Sykt bra!. Selås. Jon. 2005-03-10. Verdens Gang. Norwegian. 2009-08-10.
  6. News: Nifst invaderende. Bentzrud. Inger. 2005-03-10. Dagbladet. Norwegian. 2009-08-10.
  7. Web site: Box office / business for Naboer. IMDb. 2009-08-10.
  8. News: Camhi . Leslie . A Luminous Century: Celebrating Norwegian Cinema The Village Voice . 24 December 2019 . Village Voice . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224171605/https://www.villagevoice.com/2005/11/01/a-luminous-century-celebrating-norwegian-cinema/ . 24 December 2019.
  9. Web site: VENICE DAYS . www.venice-days.it . 27 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191227100735/http://www.venice-days.it/archivioedizioni/2005/filmsearcheng.asp?idfilm=11 . 27 December 2019.
  10. Web site: The 10 Best Modern Scandinavian Horror Movies . Taste of Cinema . 24 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224170908/http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-best-modern-scandinavian-horror-movies/ . 24 December 2019.
  11. Web site: 10 Absolutely Terrifying Scandinavian Horror Movies . ScreenRant . 24 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224171159/https://screenrant.com/horror-movies-absolutely-terrifying-scandinavian/ . 24 December 2019 . 11 December 2019.
  12. Web site: Next Door . Norwegian Film Institute . 24 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080623095718/http://www.nfi.no/english/norwegianfilms/show.html?id=461 . 23 June 2008.