Danish screenwriter Rasmus Heisterberg makes a strong directorial debut with In the Blood, which takes inspiration from the films of Joachim Trier.
In a dream, medical student Simon (Kristoffer Bech) sees himself and his best friend Knud (Elliott Crosset Hove) jumping off the dock at a lake and freezing mid-air. It’s a strong symbol of what Simon wants most: for things to stay the same, in youthful bliss, and for his friends to stop growing up and moving on without him. When Knud and his two other flatmates in Copenhagen decide they want to sell off their apartment; however, he ends up in a tailspin, unable to cope with launching into adulthood.
In the Blood is the first feature from from Rasmus Heisterberg, the screenwriter of A Royal Affair and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, beautifully lensed by Niels Thastum. It takes many of its story and stylistic cues from Joachim Trier’s Reprise and Oslo, August 31st without ever quite reaching Trier’s depth of insight or density of ideas. Nevertheless, it’s still a strong, emotionally poignant debut.
In the Blood screens Sat. Sept. 10 at 9:30 p.m. (Scotiabank), Sun, Sept. 11 at 3:15 p.m. (Scotiabank), and Sat. Sept. 17 at 3:15 p.m. (Scotiabank).
