Film directed by Mikael Håfström, which deals with an incredible real case, which occurred in Sweden, about a serial killer and which became one of the biggest scandals in that country.
I was completely unaware of the case on which the film is based. When I read the synopsis, I saw it immediately, because it deals with the case of a serial killer, which is a subject that attracts me, and this one in particular, because it happened in Sweden.
The film is directed by Mikael Håfström, a Swedish filmmaker and screenwriter, who began his career in Swedish television. But in 2003 his name crossed the borders of his country, when his film Ondskan, was nominated as best non-English speaking film at the Oscars. It was a very well made film with an intense and disturbing plot, among its protagonists was Gustaf Skarsgård.
The success of that film, opened the doors of the Mecca of cinema. In the United States he made several films during the following years: He derailed with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. The film 1408, an adaptation of Stephen King, with John Cusack and Sameil L. Jackson. Shanghai with John Cusack . The Rite, based on a novel by Matt Baglio and with the actor Anthony Hopkins. Escape Plan with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this year will premiere Outside Wire with Anthony Mackie. It seems to me that he is a bit of an irregular director with the type of projects he directs, most of them are films that don't stand out much.
Quick was released in 2019 in Sweden and was quite successful, nominated for seven major awards in Sweden and won the Guldbagge awards for best film, best actor and best make-up. Although on a cinematic level, the film did not bring anything new and even its pace, the cinematography and the director's style, were not entirely to my liking. But the story is quite incredible, which keeps us interested in discovering the whole truth about the alleged serial killer.
What is the plot?
The Swedish investigative journalist Hannes Råstam, who enjoys success in his investigations, is interested in finding out more about Sture Bergwall, better known as Thomas Quick, one of the worst serial killers in Europe. Quick was in a psychiatric institution and had been convicted of eight murders, of the 39 he claimed to have committed. To the public he was a monster, a pedophile, a cannibal, a murderer. For the journalist there were facts that did not fit and he hired the young journalist Jenny Küttim to help him investigate. Hannes and Quick establish contact, the journalist reviews all the murders, files, recordings and all the details, convincing the condemned man to record a documentary for television, where all the truth would come out. The Quick case becomes one of the biggest scandals in the country.
The legacy of journalist Hannes Råstam was to have uncovered the truth about Sture Bergwall and his connection to the 39 crimes he said he committed in Sweden, Norway and Denmark over four decades (1964-1993). How could he have acted with impunity for so long? Do the statements match the evidence? Have all the bodies been found? Is he a pedophile and a cannibal? These seem to be the questions that the investigative journalist asks himself, who will put all his efforts into finding the truth.
Even if that truth costs him his life. During the months of investigation, Hannes will discover that he is sick with cancer. Something that will begin to affect his performance and concentration at work. The diagnosis was fatal, it was too late to save him, but he continued to work, focused on bringing the truth out into the open and making the country aware of the terrible mistake and negligence with which all the agencies involved in the Quick case acted.
During the development of the film, a friendly relationship was established between the journalist and the alleged murderer, who was sentenced by several courts to spend the rest of his days in jail. At first, Hannes felt a little fear and repulsion. It is through his dreams and imagination that some of the murders and victims are recreated, without ever showing too sordid scenes.
This is the negative side of the whole film, which with that material, the impressive case they deal with, does not take full advantage of the potential of this story. Mikael Håfström's direction seems to me to be quite erratic, without managing to find the right tone for the film, which sometimes seems almost like a documentary. There is no emotion either, only in the final part, during the last days of one of the characters' life, I could feel some sadness.
Neither does the photography of Ragna Jorming stand out. She has a good previous work, but in Quick I think it's her worst work. I also didn't like the music composed by Karl Frid and Pär Frid. Perhaps for the Swedish people's taste, the film is a marvel in these categories, but for me they were not good enough for the story.
The only thing that caught my attention is the real story, which is incredible. A total madness. Here's a great spoiler. Don't read on if you don't want to know the truth about the Quick case.
The real case:
Sture Bergwall had committed crimes, such as theft, and when he was 41 years old he was convicted and sent to the high security psychiatric clinic Säter, located 200 kilometers from Stockholm. It was 1991 and Margit Norell, a respected psychiatrist and therapist with avant-garde ideas for the time, came to the institution. She and her group of assistants wanted to understand the minds of murderers and criminals.
Bergwall was one of the recipients of the therapies, but there were other inmates with more interesting stories than him. Bergwall wanted to continue receiving the therapies, and he had also become addicted to benzodiazepines, so he began to get everyone's attention, confessing to all the horrible crimes, which included rape, cannibalism, pedophilia, and murder, with all the details.
The police and psychiatrists, recreated and induced Bergwall to explain each of the murders. Everything was videotaped. With the anomalies and how the criminal was under the influence of drugs. It was really a circus. Any investigator who dared to question the criminal's statements, even question how that serial killer acted differently in each murder, was removed from the case. The top officials of the investigation needed a culprit for all those unsolved cases.
The police relied on almost a single piece of evidence, the alleged bone fragment of a child they found in one of the lakes where Bergwall said he dumped the body. It was examined for years and in 2010 it was determined that it was not the remains of a human bone, but a piece of plastic and wood.
Incredible as it may seem, the man who had been convicted of eight murders, listed as one of the worst serial killers in history, and who claimed to have murdered 39 victims, was innocent!
Quick had made it all up, he knew all the details of the cases because he had read and investigated them, but in reality Quick had never killed anyone in his life.
If you want to know all the details of this unusual event, which thanks to the journalist's investigation the truth came out, causing a scandal in Sweden, you can read the information at this link
Swedish actor Jonas Karlsson plays the journalist Hannes Råstam, a man totally dedicated to his work, who does it very well. He is one of the best investigative journalists and with his tenacity and dedication, he will discover the whole truth about Thomas Quick. The actor is well known in Sweden, because in addition to working on many films in his country, he is successful in exploiting his writing skills, with several books published. For his work in Quick he was awarded as best actor in the most important film awards in Sweden. Swedish actress Alba August plays Jenny Küttim, the young journalist who helped Hannes investigate the whole Quick affair, establishing a beautiful professional relationship. The real Jenny Küttim continued her friend's work after his death. The actress was nominated for the Guldbagge Award, but did not win it. We have seen her working on series like The Rain and in the movies Reliance and Astrid.
The actor David Dencik plays Quick, the man who invented being the author of all those murders, condemned and pointed out as the worst serial killer in the world, was just a loser, with mental problems and addictions that pushed him to invent everything. The actor has participated in many international films, such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by David Fincher. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Tomas Alfredson. War Horse, Wainting for the Barbarians, The Homesman , in addition to the series Top of the Lake, and Chernobyl. Soon we will see it in the new James Bond film: No Time to Die.
Sture Bergwall has changed his name, no one knows his current name or where he lives. But all his life he has to thank the efforts of a journalist, who did not give up even in his last moments of life, to discover the truth.
The 39 murders that Quick claimed to be the perpetrator remain unsolved.
Recommended if you want to see how the truth about this incredible case was discovered.
My Ranking: 3.2/5
Trailer
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