Home Features Hypnosen: a nail-biting Swedish tragicomedy on social awkwardness

Hypnosen: a nail-biting Swedish tragicomedy on social awkwardness

Director Ernst De Geer’s Swedish film Hypnosen - featuring Herbert Nordrum, Asta Kamma August and David Fukamachi Regnfors - investigates social awkwardness in a quirky style. Here’s a quick take!

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Herbert Nordrum and Asta Kamma August in a still from Hypnosen

Hypnosen (The Hypnosis) marks Swedish screenwriter and director Ernst De Geer’s debut feature film, starring Herbert Nordrum (remember Eivind from The Worst Person in the World?) and Asta Kamma August (known for her work in Blackwater and Burn All My Letters). Described as a tragicomedy, the 99-minute movie will make you curious about human behaviour and squirm at it, all at once. In a satirical tone, the narrative makes an honest and unapologetic display of social embarrassment and how we deal with it.

The plot revolves around a modern entrepreneurial couple André and Vera, who have designed a unique mobile app, focused on addressing women’s health issues and improving their overall well-being. According to the makers, Epione has the potential to help women around the world, particularly in developing nations, determine their fertile days. Thus, in order to attract investors with their pitch, the partners make a short trip to a different city to attend a conference for promising start-ups, called Shake Up. The cast also includes actors Andrea Edwards, Karin de Frumerie, Alexandra Zetterberg, David Fukamachi Regnfors, among others.

Although André and Vera are also romantically involved, somehow she feels that her views are not valued much by him when it comes to making decisions about the app. A subdued Vera, however, never conveys her discomfort to André. That goes on until she tries hypnotherapy one day to give up smoking. As it turns out, right after the first session with her therapist, Vera strangely begins to lose all her social inhibitions and doesn’t seem to even care about it.

Confused and perplexed about her odd conduct, André is struggling to come to terms with why Vera is not behaving herself. And even more than that he is worried about the presentation that the two were supposed to make at the conference. As without a good financial backing, they can never launch their app. On the other hand, Vera is loafing around the venue with an imaginary chihuahua, while also leaning over the bar to pour herself milk and spirit.

André tries his best to calm her down. But an unfiltered Vera seems to be hell bent on sticking to her true self and unleashing her candid inner child. This, in turn, makes her boyfriend and business partner feel humiliated during every meeting with a potential investor. Director Ernst’s no-holds-barred depiction of social anxiety and blunt human behaviour, triggered by hypnotherapy, will make you quiver more than chuckle. The 99-minute movie makes for an engaging watch.