Review: Skjult (Hidden) (2010)

"I wanted to like this movie, but in the end it left me feeling cold and indifferent..."

Sub-Genre- Supernatural/Backwoods Horror
Cast Members of Note- Kristoffer Joner, Cecilie A. Mosli and Karin Park.

Kai Koss is a creepy guy with an even creepier past; it seems as if his evil Mother used to lock him in a secret room in the basement, torture him and... well, torture him. After years of said abuse, Kai escapes his dungeon home, runs through the woods, and kills another kid's parents. The kid runs off into the woods, and falls off of a cliff, making Kai responsible for his death too. Or was he?

"Give mommy a kiss!"

Years later, Kai is called to the morgue to identify the wizened old corpse of his Mom, and bid her good riddance. He gives her a creepy, lingering kiss, she jump-scares him, and he runs. He heads back to his old family home, presumably to close it up and sell it, but instead comes across a creepy ghost that likes to play dodgeball with him. Naturally, instead of running like the wind, he stays and looks around the poorly lit house saying things like "who's there?" and "are you there?" Who wouldn't do the same?

Screw that noise, I would leave.

Soon enough, people start going missing in the woods around the house, prompting the Police to start a manhunt and to look at Kai for the creepy SOB that he is. Or might be. Did something more sinister and "hidden" happen to the little boy in the woods that night? Is Kai Kross insane? Will anyone remember this movie after seeing it once? Yes, yes, and not likely.

"You, sir, are an effing nut-job."

Skjult (Hidden) is a suspenseful, creepy little movie that delivers the visual goods and atmosphere in spades. It's beautifully shot and edited, and a times the movie makes the skin crawl just by the way the scenes are set up and unfold. The acting is a highpoint here, with Kristoffer Joner and Cecilie A. Mosli (both stars of the equally creepy Naboer) doing a solid job of making you believe/feel what is unfolding on screen.

This doll did a real good job too.

As gorgeous as this film is, I was sadly let down by the bland story and obligatory twist at the end. It absolutely gripped me in the early going when I thought it was a ghost story, but then lost me when it changed gears and became an "alone in the woods" stalk-and-slash movie instead. It's a shame that movies like this try to out-clever themselves instead of playing it straight, because that usually only serves to hurt a film's good points.

Q- I that his dead Mom, or is he nuts? A- Yes.

Jump-scares? Really? With all of the attention to atmosphere and mood that the filmmakers put into this movie, why in the world would they ruin it all with cheesy, lame, jump-scares?

Get ready to jump (scare.)

We get some blood and gruesome images, but Skjult is filled with far more jump-scares than it is good kill scenes. For shame.

This was pretty creepy though.

No.

Next time, what say you lose the shirt?

Norwegian forests are very dangerous. Also, I really am starting to despise twist endings.

What is this...

Everything was great about this movie except for the story, which I suppose really makes the whole thing not so great... It's not a bad movie-going experience, just one that made me roll my eyes and left me feeling unsatisfied and a bit bummed. When it hits American Theaters in January as a part of this year's After Dark Horrorfest, I have a feeling that many of you will feel the same.

C

Karin Park and Cecilie A. Mosli are in this.