Fantastic Fest Review: Corridor

I strongly believe that anyone who proclaims themselves a horror fan should be required to read Danse Macabre, Stephen King's non-fiction commentary on horror fiction in print, radio and film. Although it was written almost 30 years ago, his often-academic examination into the influences on his writing is extremely insightful. One discussion that I think of time and time again is his classification of the horror genre into three levels: terror, horror and revulsion. King further states that terror is the "finest element," and one he strives for himself. He defines terror as the suspenseful moment before the actual monster is revealed -- horror is when we actually see the monster. Finally, King equates revulsion with the gag reflex, a bottom level which he considers a cheap gimmick.

One of the horror films that I saw at Fantastic Fest this year captured the finest element of terror, so much that I saw it in the theater twice -- the psychological thriller Corridor, written and directed by Johan Storm and Johan Lundborg. In an everyday setting of a Swedish flat, these emerging filmmakers created a terrifying experience for both their characters and the audience.  

Corridor opens with an introduction to Frank (Emil Johnsen), an introverted medical student who has a small quiet flat where he can focus on his sutides. However, when new neighbor Lotte (Ylva Gallon) moves in upstairs, his quiet life is disrupted by her intrusive nature and late-night lovemaking with her abusive boyfriend Micke (Peter Stormare). Frank also resents his classmates, from the teacher's pet who gets a perfect score to the poor scoring student who wants to study with him.

Frank is too self-absorbed to bother to help others around him. However, his apathy impacts others, as Lotte has been beaten by Micke after Micke's motorcycle was damaged -- and Frank refused to help her fix the damage. After Frank implies in a wrong number call that Lotte has cheated on Micke, Lotte is in even more danger. We then witness Frank's cowardice and paralyzing terror as he becomes a victim of Micke's persecution. And what has become of Lotte?

A significant element of Corridor is that the protagonist Frank is not really the most likeable character -- a running theme at Fantastic Fest this year that I'd seen in Fatso and Rammbock. Frank is not altruistic but he is studying to be a doctor. Lead actress Gallon's portrayal of Lotte strikes a wonderful balance between the annoying invasive neighbor and hapless victim. Stormare (Fargo, The Big Lebowski) doesn't have much screen time or dialogue for that matter, but his supporting role as Micke is effective and adds to the high quailty of terrifying and tragic events in Corridor.

Veteran actress Marie Delleskog also appears in a role outside her usual typecast, as the nosy concierge. Delleskog also portrayed the terrorized grandmother in Lundberg and Storm's short film Rosenhill, which also screened at Fantastic Fest as part of the Short Fuse! Severe Shorts program. I've awarded Corridor the Fantastic Fest 2010 Best Head Butt award in honor of a climatic scene she has with Johnsen. Speaking of which, Johnsen's brooding portrayal of a young man pulled into circumstances that he wants no part of is stellar. I look forward to seeing more of Johnsen in future roles, and he also plays a supporting role as a ninja documentarian in Norwegian Ninja, another Fantastic Fest 2010 feature.

The cinematography and editing of Corridor were well done, creating a tight and well-paced film. The filmmakers rely heavily on visual storytelling, rather than dialogue. A few visual images are repeated throughout that complement the artistic nature of this film -- for example, opening and closing on the rooftops of Frank's neighborhood -- and I'll never use my French press again without thinking of this film. The stylized realism of both light and dark shots adds to the tension that builds throughout this story. The character development wholly supports the subjective nature of Corridor. Despite the cultural differences between Sweden and here, this film and Frank's college experience translates well into our culture. I distinctly remember witnessing a pre-med student screaming at our college biology professor for giving him a score that was one point below an A. I had no trouble identifying with Frank's universe created by Storm and Lundborg in Corridor.

I hope that Corridor gets picked up for distribution in the United States soon, and highly recommend seeing this suspense-filled movie when it hits the big screen -- and I'll see it for a third time!

Check back for my interview with Corridor writers and directors Johan Storm and Johan Lundborg.