The Here After

A rural community is asked to forgive a shocking crime in Swedish director Magnus von Horn's quietly charged feature debut. It controversially aligns the audience with the young perpetrator (Ulrik Munther) as he returns to the care of his father after a short stretch in a secure facility, oblivious to the damaging effect his presence has on those around him. The largely static camerawork, which often holds us at a remove, signposts its director's desire not to pass judgement, but The Here After also refuses to provide answers and its opaqueness can frustrate. Munther turns in an unnervingly inscrutable but reliably compelling performance at the centre and the film builds ample tension as it drip-feeds us fragments of backstory, touching on some fascinating dilemmas, drawing attention to the medium's tendency to build bias, and confounding expectations. But although it's never less than credible in its depiction of social alienation, small-town mindsets and male rage, it's hard to shake the feeling that this is merely the bare bones of what could have been a much more engaging story.