thriller: a cruel picture (1973)

aka en grym film . They Call Her One Eye.
"I like women that don't talk much..."
Madeline (Christina Lindberg), a young mute woman, living in rural Sweden, misses her bus, and innocently accepts a lift from Tony (Heinz Hopf), who kidnaps her, forcing her into a drug habit, then blinds her in one eye, and forces her into prostitution. But unknown to him, in her downtime, she is learning karate and shooting, life skills that come in handy when she eventually takes revenge.
Lindberg exhibits a fragility, that turns feral after her abuse, allowing this slight and unevenly paced film some life. And whatever your thoughts on the film, she looks mighty cool in her leather coat and eye patch.

midsommar (2019)

aka midsommer
"All of our oracles are deliberate products of inbreeding."
Dani (Florence Pugh) travels with her partner and some friends to a rural Swedish village, to explore its mid-summer festival. But this initially sweet pagan cult starts to become unnerving...
The initial Wicker Man vibe, soon delves into more shocking areas, as this film comes into its own.

we are the best (2013)

aka Vi är bäst!.
"We are best!"
Two 12 year old girls (Mira Barkhammar & Mira Grosin) bond over their love of punk music and decide to form a band, ignoring the fact that they cannot play, and have no instruments. Then they hit on the idea or involving another girl (Liv LeMoyne) who is shunned by everyone for being Christian, but she has one thing they don't have, a guitar and the ability to play it.
Fine slice of life drama.

arn - the knight templar (2007)

aka Arn - Tempelriddaren.
"Nothing can keep us apart."
Arn (Joakim Nätterqvist), a Swedish nobleman's son is sent to a monistry to be educated, and comes under the influence of a warrior monk. This leads to him becoming a Knight Templar when he is banished to the Holy Land, as penance for having a child out of wedlock. As he leaves he vows to the woman that he will return for her...but his return does not bring the peaceful retirement that he would like.
A Swedish epic, (the most expensive film ever produced in Sweden), is a romantic adventure, showing that with time and thought, such films can be made outside of the American film system. There's nothing particularly new here, but it entertains none the less.

leningrad cowboys go america (1989)

"This is rock n roll...study it."
The Leningrad Cowboys are told to try making it in America, so off they set. Their manager gets them an audition in New York, and the promoter gives them a job at his cousins wedding in Mexico. Their only problem is how to get there. Once they've spent all their money on a second hand Cadillac they have to find bars to play on their journey down through the US to Mexico.
The manager lives the life of Riley as the band suffers for their art, all with an admiral stoicism and much black humour. If you get into the grove of this its a wonderfully entertaining 90 minutes, otherwise I'm sure you will come out of this baffled! As much a love song to America as it is a comedy.

let the right one in (2009)

aka Låt den rätte komma in.
"Oskar: Are you really twelve? Eli: Yes. It's just I've been twelve for a very long time."
Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) a bullied 12-year-old boy who finds friendship with Eli (Lina Leandersson), the young girl who has just moved in next door. Becoming infatuated he finds out she is a vampire and their friendship develops in to love, and leads to revenge.
A beautifully constructed coming-of-age story with a slow, quiet, unsensational approach, that draws you into the blackly comic tale.