Emelie

There is a saying here in Sweden, that goes something like this.

If you see a Norwegian woman, playing a violin, and dressed in a folk costume, run like hell.

What does this mean? Well, let´s just say you should not mess with norwegian women in folk costumes, last time i did, i ended up in a lake, badly injured. So what did i do ? I was wearing a Martin Stenmarck t shirt, maybe that explains why this happened. Women in general are wonderful, and we men have to admit, they are masters at taking care of their homes, careers, kids, and everything else. I have been together with my wife now for 12 years, and if there is one thing i know, as an husband, never tell a woman certain things. If you do, you either loose your nuts, or you loose your bank account. There are women out there who might seem friendly, but turn out to be psychopaths, that you never should have met. Anyone remember the classic Stephen King film Misery, where actor Kathryn Bates did a really powerful performance as a psychopath, holding her favourite author as a prisoner ? This is one of those films i will never forget. There are of course other films, where very sick women are portrayed. Perhaps some of you remember Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, the insane woman who cooks a rabbit ? This is a 80´s classic, and Michael Douglas did a really good performance also. Since there are so many films released every year, about mentally unstable personalities, you really don´t know if any of them are any good. Last time i saw one of the most sickening films, that included a serial killer, was the film I Saw The Devil. I highly recommend you buy this film on blu ray, a must see. The performance of South Korea actor Min-sik Choi as serial killer Kyung-chul, is absolutely insane, and he does this performance really intensive. How many of you parents out there, always check if your babysitter is recommended ? Most of you i hope, but i suppose some people would want to trust our younger generation. So what if the babysitter you hire, does not turn out to be the way you expected ? This is one of the issues of the thriller Emelie, that i took a chance to see. I have not really heard much about this film before, until i read a positive review at HorrorTalk webiste. I usually don´t let myself be affected by what other critics say, but as i read the review, i still became curious to see the film. Do we finally have a solid psychological thriller made in an old fashioned way, or is this business as usual with less to offer ?


Parents Dan ( Chris Beteem ) and Anna ( Randi Langdon ) is living a normal family life, with kids. Both are very busy, so they need some time on their own, just to enjoy themselves one night. They find babysitter Emelie ( Sarah Bolger ) who is recommended as a babysitter, and they can finally relax and go out for some fun. At first, Emelie seems like a nice young woman, who connect with the kids, but there is a different personality in her. The night have just started, and Emelie is planning to make this a special night, none of the kids will ever forget.

Does anyone of you remember the 90´s thriller The Hand That Rocks The Cradle ? Rebecca De Mornay did a great performance as the psycopath nanny . If you have not seen this film, you should for nostalgic reasons. While i was watching the film Emelie, i was reminded of the film The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, because you have 2 nannys in both of these films, and both of them have serious psychological problems. I would not say they are the same film, because here are differences. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle was about a nanny with personal issues, that went to far. In the film Emelie, you can tell that this young woman is 2 different persons, almost like a serial killer. And she acually enjoy to torture people. You could say that Emelie is the last babysitter anyone would want in their homes. Some of her ideas are not approved by Jordbruksverket. Since we recognize the theme, and see a similar plot in other films, you can´t say there is anything really original about this film. However, the actor Sarah Bolger, who plays the babysitter Emelie, is the strongest point in this film. Her character needs to be in a certain way, to make the concept work. The psychological perspective of Emelie could have been stronger, but there are some interesting scenes here, where you get to see how she really is, in certain situations. I would have been more interested about Emelie, if we could find out some more details on her background. We do find out some details, but something unexpected would have been nice. The kids do alright acting wise, and they feel natural. The parents, played by Chris Beteem and Randi Langdon, also do alright. My only major issue with this film, is that we could have had a much more intensive feeling, where we could see Emelie go even more insane. If she really wanted to effect the audience, she should have gone even more insane. Still, the performance from Sarah Bolger, is still solid enough to prove that she pulled this off. You should not see Emelie as a horror film, i would more call this a psychological thriller. Director Michael Thelin have directed a lot of concert films, short films, and also documentary films, mostly with different music bands. Emelie is definitely a very different film in his catalogue, and i enjoy his take on this genre. Nothing that we might remember in years ahead, but if you like crazy girls going insane, you might find some value here. Lesson learned parents, if you need a babysitter, always contact Vince Neil, to make sure they stay safe and sound at home.

Rating: DDD