Psalm 21 (2009)

In Stockholm, Henrik (Jonas Malmsjö) is a popular priest whose good relationship with his congregation sadly doesn't stretch into his home life, which is awkward to say the least. On hearing of his father's death, he drives through the night – against the wishes of his girlfriend – to his father's hometown. On the way, he knocks down a woman whose body then disappears.He takes lodgings with a very strange family and sees a little girl in the barn outside. The girl transforms into a CGI demon and vanishes. Then he meets other people who transform into CGI demons, including a teenage girl who appears to seduce him in the barn before assuming the appearance of his mother (I think) before transforming into another CGI demon.This continues for the film's running time and it soon becomes an impenetrable tangle of intensely acted, beautifully directed set-pieces and flashbacks, most of which appear to be designed to force Henrik into believing in the existence in Hell – something he has always previously denied.The repetition and occasional absurdity of the effects cease to have any real effect after a while, especially as such moments are never really explained. It actually becomes an annoyance that such talent is wasted here – why take the time to perfect these shots and effects if they are just lost in a story that continually makes no sense? The ending sees Henrik conducting a sermon to a full congregation (including his son, with whom it seems relations have at last improved) denouncing religion and his faith as an elitist fiction. The implication is that he has lost his mind, and his faith in religion, but gained the acceptance of his wayward family. Very odd.

Judging by the low score and less than impressive discussions on IMDb, i went into Psalm 21 expecting a disaster, but in the end what i got was the complete opposite! Comparing this to the Scandinavian standard, this Swedish horror film doesn't really keep it company, but on its own ,its a generic horror film idea, mixed in with a soul searching look into the destruction that religion can bring. Brilliant cinematography, along with solid performances in the acting department, make Psalm 21 appear to be a well executed movie. Unfortunately, my biggest problem with the movie was the repetitive horror set pieces, which allows the audience time to desensitize themselves to what is happening, due to the frequency of scares. Having said that, thankfully Psalm 21 saves itself by the thought provoking material, underneath the generic surface!

I felt compelled to write a review of this movie. This movie actually has a lot of heart and there is more to it than most seem to think. It is, at it's base, somewhat of a horror movie. There also exist thoughtful undertones that force you to think. Not in a who-done-it kind of way. It's far more cerebral. If you watch this movie as a character exploration and don't sit impatiently waiting for the next scare, you will begin to see a man dealing with his tortured spirit. I found it moving in several instances.Highly recommended!!!

Psalm 21 is one of those few Swedish horror films that actually are good. It come into the company of The Cellar, Let the Right One In and Frostbite. Psalm 21 had the potential to become the best of them all but loses track.The first half is scary as s**t, and has an amazing atmosphere. But it soon loses track. The horror is less in focus and the film as a whole suffers a result. The ending should have been cut out. It's way to into pushing it's message down our throats. The acting is good, but the special effects are silly at times taking away much of the horror in the second part of the movie.