Snakes, supernatural powers, shattered glass, stunning cinematography, an intense relationship between protagonists Thelma and Anja — this Norwegian thriller has it all. Thelma follows a young woman of the same name, who’s just left a very religious family home to study in Oslo. One day, she suffers a violent seizure upon meeting another young women, Anja. As time passes and their romance heats up, Thelma begins to realise the seizures are a result of supernatural abilities. How Anja impacts (or causes?) these powers is unclear, but the press release points to seductively mysterious “secrets from her past” leading to “terrifying implications of her newfound capabilities”. Ooooo.
The film comes from by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who’s responsible for the critically acclaimed films Oslo and Louder than Bombs. Eili Harboe stars as Thelma (she won the Berlin Film Festival Shooting Star award for the role), and newcomer Kaya Wilkins plays Anja. While the film premiered last year, it’s just coming to Mubi on 24 February. Something to look forward to once you’ve binge watched the entirety of Dark in one Pringle-dusted sitting.