InformationRap
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Patience Watson
One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.
Bones Eijnar
Den Enfaldige Mördaren deserves to be better known. It's a fabulous film directed by Hans Alfredson and stars Stellan Skarsgård in one of his most memorable performances as the hare-lipped young man Sven, who's considered retarded by his surroundings. He seeks consolation and spiritual strength in his faith and visions as his life becomes difficult and tormenting as a worker for the vicious local factory owner Höglund (played by Alfredson himself).Superbly played out in a slight retrospective manner, the film beholds a major heart. The emotional aspect is big as we witness Sven throughout the film; his childlike manners and his close relation to his guardian angels, the way he gets involved with the girl-next-door, and getting the opportunity to step up and being treated as an adult, receiving weekly salary and learning how to drive a motorcycle. It's a moving journey of a man who everyone around him seems to misunderstand and neglect. These bright and uplifting moments in the film works as a great counterbalance to the darkness it beholds, especially in the character of Höglund - he's first presented to us lurking into the stable where Sven sleeps among the animals, and he speaks violently and shows no affect for Sven, who's just lost his mother. Höglund treats Sven's sister as meat, shows no affection for his wife and kids, and uses gruesome actions to behold power in the local county.Den Enfaldige Mördaren is packed with symbolism and ideas, and it flows carelessly in place and time (we sense both the Middle Ages and something futuristic, and everything in between) and tells a tale a multi-layered tale, shuffling so many elements of humor, romance, spirituality, society's mangles, vengeance and adventure. It's a film that makes one enthusiastic about European cinema.
tependris
Dazzling performances by both a young and hardly recognizable Stellan Skarsgard, as a simple minded man and movie's director Hans Alfredson as the movie's villain. They both give Oscar winning performances. The storyline is very intriguing, cinematography is close to perfection, the musical score flawless, the supporting actors play excellently, the pace of the movie, starting with the hero's flashbacks and revealing the past slowly and gradually till its climax in just the ending 5 minutes of the film, is superb! An enlightening film and as i'm informed one of the best Swedish movies ever! A must see for every cinephile who is fed up with Hollywood junk!
stefan.appelgren
The two main actors (Hans Alfredsson and Stellan Skarsgård) make top performances in this movie about Evil personalized. It´s also a movie about Sweden in the late 30´s with poverty and pre-war nazism close at hand.
AKS-6
"Den enfaldige mördaren" is without a doubt one of the best Swedish films ever made. It's a beautiful film, as well as a harrowing experience to watch. Stellan Skarsgård is magnificent in the role of Sven who is generally considered to be an idiot (because he is harelipped and he's therefore unable to speak clearly) -- even by his own sister Vera who is deeply ashamed of him. He gets a job at a factory owner's estate and is treated cruelly by that man (played by wonderful Hasse Alfredson, who also wrote the script and directed the film).The film is fairly episodic but it definitely works in this film and as Sven's life gets better and better the pace becomes more "fluent", so to speak, which is really brilliant. The cinematography's brilliant as well. This is truly a great accomplishment.