(Fri 3rd @ 9pm , Sat 4th & Sun 5th @ 8pm / £4/3/2 SSS)
(Ruben Östlund / Sweden / 2008 / 101 minutes / Certificate 15 / subtitled)
Drawing some comparisons with the dark comedy of embarrassment found in Todd Solondz’ ‘Happiness’, this Swedish drama subtly explores group dynamics and the power of peer pressure. The film cuts between five separate vignettes, each chosen to illustrate social behaviour within everyday situations.

An over-zealous schoolteacher gives her kids a stark lesson in group psychology… A man prone to vulgar pranks puts pressure on an old friend during a drunken reunion… A coach trip is thrown into disarray by vandalism and one passenger’s wish to avoid blame… Two teenage girls drunkenly egg each other on, staggering across lines of social acceptability… A middle-aged host, not wishing to spoil the party for his guests, insists on soldiering on despite an injury…

Using long take shots (-some up to seven minutes), Östlund creates a feel of realism, showing everyday situations that question the nature of group pressure over the individual.