I Remember You (2017)

My random pick on Netflix and what a find it was! Filmed beautifully. It was heartbreaking. It wasn't filled with cheap scares. Highly recommend.

I wouldn't say I Remember You is a bad movie, not at all actually, but it's probably not a movie I will watch a second time though, and that's why I just gave it a 6 out of 10. From a 7 are the movies I would watch again. The story is not bad, with enough mystery to keep you interested, but it is just a bit too slow and there are a couple things that could have used more explanation. The cast was good. I didn't know any of them and that's not a surprise since Icelandic movies are not the most common and popular, but that doesn't mean there are no good actors there. The setting is everything you expect when you think about Iceland, not much else to see than bare lands, mountains and lakes, and a cold winter atmosphere. It's all well shot. The movie is worth a watch, but to me it could have used a bit more action and horror.

You know a film is good when you forget you are reading subtitles. I remember you is quite scary, very intriguing and very moving. Well acted and produced it left me wondering how everything tied in together right to the very end.

The synopsis here on IMDb is not quite accurate. There are actually 2 stories happening here, and how they connect is revealed slowly, with perfect timing and a suspenseful buildup. The first story concerns the town doctor, who is helping the police with an investigation of a woman who has died. His character spend the entire film teetering between trying to figure out this town's dark past and how it connects to some recent and frightening events, and trying to live with the torment of the loss of his son, who went missing some years earlier. The other story is about a married couple (and her best friend) who are in town to convert an old, disused building into a bed & breakfast. There are some personal issues between the three, but the most interesting character by far is the wife. She's also experienced some trauma in her past, and it is she who suffers the strange events that happen in this story. None of what happens to her is ever seen by her husband or her friend, so we don't really know if it's real or imagined. The town's current crimes, the renovation of the b&b, how the two narratives cross paths is revealed slowly, with suspense and satisfying scares, and is done exceedingly well. The actors' performances were well done; not a stinker among them. And the landscape is perfect for such a tale. Desolate, cold, isolated...not just in miles, but in connection with the outside world (for example, difficulty in getting a cell phone signal). There are no cheap shots, no stunt scares. A beautiful soundtrack and gorgeous cinematography are icing on the cake of this thriller.