The Conference (2023 film)
| The Conference | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Patrik Eklund |
| Written by | Mats Strandberg |
| Screenplay by | Patrik Eklund Thomas Moldestad |
| Based on | Konferensen |
| Produced by | Ina Sohlberg |
| Starring | Katia Winter Adam Lundgren Eva Melander Bahar Pars Amed Bozan Maria Sid |
| Cinematography | Simon Rudholm |
| Edited by | Robert Krantz |
| Music by | Andreas Tengblad |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
The Conference (Swedish: Konferensen) is a 2023 Swedish drama slasher film directed by Patrik Eklund and co-written with Thomas Moldestad based on the 2021 novel Konferensen by Mats Strandberg and starring Katia Winter, Adam Lundgren and Eva Melander.[1] It premiered on Netflix in October 13, 2023.[2]
Plot
A team-building conference for municipal employees turns into a nightmare when elements of corruption begins to undermine and plague the retreat with a scorned man out to avenge the suicide of his father over a real estate scam entailing the construction of a non-utilitarian retail mall in a farming community.[3][4]
Cast
- Katia Winter as Lina
- Adam Lundgren as Jonas
- Eva Melander as Eva
- Bahar Pars as Nadja
- Amed Bozan as Amir
- Maria Sid as Ingela
- Christoffer Nordenrot as Kaj
- Claes Hartelius as Torbjörn
- Cecilia Nilsson as Anette
- Lola Zackow as Jenny
- Jimmy Lindström as Karl
- Martin Lagos as Roger
- Marie Agerhäll as Cleo
- Robert Follin as Sotis
- Margareta Pettersson (voice actor)
Production
The screenplay was co-written by the director Patrik Eklund and Thomas Moldestad, based on the 2021 novel Konferensen by Mats Strandberg. A Netflix original film, it was produced by Ina Sohlberg for SF Studios.[1] The crew also featured Guldbagge-winning Tove Jansson, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson as make-up artists,[5] Ingrid Sjögren as costume designer, and Tim King and Jonathan Ridings as executive producers alongside Mats Strandberg, with Jimm Garbis as associate producer.[6]
Most of the film was shot in Stockholm and its surrounding areas.[7] In fact, the Mälaren lake is thought to be one of the shooting locations of Conference.[8]
Release
The Conference premiered globally on Netflix in October 13, 2023.[2][9] It released during pre-Halloween season.[10]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.[11]
Alexander Kardelo of MovieZine rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it a "brutally entertaining slasher comedy" and writing that "[it] offers its audience an intense nightmare experience that tickles the chest to death".[12]
Karolina Fjellborg of Aftonbladet rated it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a festive, fresh breath of a slasher film, which combines some of the genre's most classic approaches with very Swedish characters, in a very Swedish context".[13]
Mrinal Rajaram of Cinema Express rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, reckoning it is "based on an interesting premise" and "[brims] with potential" at first, but "loses a bit of itself in the slasher cliches", resulting in "the expectation [turning] soon to disappointment and [settling] eventually on boredom".[14]
Emiliano Basile of EscribiendoCine rated it with 6 out of 10 points, stating that "Patrick Eklund makes a social satire-like slasher comedy that's shamelessly gore and a fun reflection on humans' incredible capacity to resist".[15]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 59th Guldbagge Awards | Best Makeup and Hair | Tove Jansson, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson | Won | [16][5] |
| Best Visual Effects | Alan Banis and Andreas Hylander | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Bergqvist, Mattias (2023-02-01). "Netflix gör film av Mats Strandbergs "Konferensen" – alla detaljer". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ a b Romanchick, Shane (2023-09-15). "A Company Retreat Goes Horrifyingly Wrong in 'The Conference' Trailer". Collider. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Bergqvist, Mattias (2023-02-01). "Netflix gör film av Mats Strandbergs "Konferensen" – alla detaljer". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Fjellborg, Karolina (2023-10-12). "Netflix "Konferensen" är en störtskön svensk slasher". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ a b Rätzer, Sarah (15 January 2024). "Här är alla vinnare på Guldbaggegalan 2024" (in Swedish). Expressen. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "The Conference (Konferensen)". Cineuropa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Shrestha, Naman (2023-10-11). "The Conference: Every Filming Location of the Netflix Movie". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Fecou, Louie (2023-10-17). "Where was The Conference filmed? Horror Locations Explained". Ready Steady Cut. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (2023-02-03). "La comedia slasher sueca The Conference llegará a Netflix este año". Cineuropa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Adejobi, Alicia (2023-10-19). "Netflix's 'brutal' Swedish horror will put you off office team building". Metro. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ "The Conference". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Skräckpremiär på Netflix! "Konferensen" hyllas (och slaktas) av kritikerna". MovieZine (in Swedish). 13 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Fjellborg, Karolina (2023-10-12). "Netflix "Konferensen" är en störtskön svensk slasher". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Rajaram, Mrinal (2023-10-15). "The Conference Movie Review: It had the potential to be a classic whodunnit but ends up being a campy slasher flick". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Basile, Emiliano (21 October 2023). "Crítica de "La conferencia (Konferensen)", la máscara de la hipocresía". EscribiendoCine (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Pham, Annika (14 December 2023). "Axel Petersen's Shame on Dry Land leads Swedish Guldbagge nominations". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Nordisk Film. Retrieved 15 July 2024.