‘The Guest’ review: Trine Dyrholm is magnetic at the heart of knotty Danish domestic drama
The naming ceremony for the baby son of Karl (Simon Bennebjerg) and his wife Emilie (Mette Klakstein Wiberg) is a tasteful affair, held in a chic seaside hotel on the Danish coast, with a seasonally appropriate menu and a carefully curated guest list. But the one aspect that cannot be micromanaged is the unexpected appearance of Karl’s estranged mother Vibeke (Trine Dyrholm), who hopes to reclaim her place within her son’s family. Superbly acted and supremely uncomfortable, this assured feature debut by Mads Mengel is the kind of knotty, nuanced domestic drama that the Danish film industry has traditionally excelled at producing.
Dyrholm’s name, and the intense, unpredictable magnetism of the character she plays so impressively, will be the main draw for programmers and perhaps arthouse distributors following the film’s premiere in Karlovy Vary’s Crystal Globe competition. But this is an ensemble work that succeeds on the complex interplay of the well-judged performances rather than on one actor alone. As such, it has a kinship with the abrasive family dramas from Thomas Vinterberg, in particular Festen. Read the rest at Screendaily