The Unthinkable
Alex (Christoffer Nordenrot) is violent and pigheaded, just like his father , Bjorn (Jesper Barkselius). His hair-trigger temper causes him to lose the love of his life, Anna (Lisa Henni), but this takes a back seat when the country comes under mysterious attack in “The Unthinkable.”
Laura's Review: B
Robin's Review: B
Alex’s love loss is the focus of the beginning of the story as his temper drives Anna away. He inherited his father’s extreme lack of patience and tendency for not-well-thought-out actions. His mother, Klara (Ulrika Backstrom), has reached the saturation point of Bjorn’s abuse and leaves. She was, we learn, the only stabilizing factor in the family’s life. Her departure leaves the stubborn father and son alone. Soon, Johan leaves for Stockholm. Jump ahead ten years and Alex is a famous concert musician with all the fortune that that fame brings. But, he has never forgotten his missed opportunity to spend his life with Anna. Nostalgically, he returns to his home town to buy the church piano he and Anna once played years before. Unbeknownst to Alex, Anna has moved home and the hopes of rekindled romance come back to the musician. Then, explosions are heard in the distance and news flashes report terrorist attacks across Stockholm. Initial reporting blames ISIS for the attacks but, soon, the extent of the invasion – the seizure of the power grid and infrastructure is aided by an Alzheimer’s-inducing hallucinogens delivered by the falling summer rain – become apparent. It is the Russians and they are coming! The national chaos and uncertainties of the invasion and how it will end increase the tensions among the survivors. It is also the backdrop for Alex, Bjorn and Anna’s story of survival and healing as they must overcome the greater crisis that faces them all. Writer-director Victor Danell, with co-scribe Chistoffer Nordenrot, comes up with an original and not implausible concept – the invasion of Sweden – with a dual family drama. The result is a sci-fi cautionary tale and warning that this could happen.
