Earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, international cinema enthusiasts were shaken by one of the year’s most profoundly challenging dramas: Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord. Today, the impactful film is set to make waves online with a brand-new trailer ahead of its anticipated October 9 theatrical debut. The intense new promo offers a chilling look into the private lives of a devout Romanian family who relocate to Norway, only to find their domestic foundation torn apart when local authorities accuse the parents of child abuse.
Filmed on location in Ålesund and the breathtaking, isolated expanses of Hjørundfjorden in Western Norway, the trailer exudes a naturalistic, bone-chilling atmosphere that perfectly complements Sebastian Stan’s cold and deeply unnerving performance. Throughout the footage, Stan’s character devolves from a strict, deeply religious patriarch into someone completely unrecognizable, a descent captured in a terrifying shot that directly evokes Jack Nicholson’s iconic turn as Jack Torrance in The Shining.
Here is the official synopsis for Fjord:
In Fjord, a Norwegian woman and her devout Romanian husband relocate with their five children to a remote, close-knit, coastal town. Their teenage children form a fast bond with a neighboring family as unease simmers over their rigid beliefs. When allegations of abuse emerge, they are forced to confront a system of judgment that blurs the lines between concern and prejudice.
Our Thoughts on Fjord
The film has already garnered immense critical acclaim ahead of its fall release. In Chris Bumbray’s review from Cannes, he praised the movie’s stark, realistic aesthetic, noting that Fjord is:
“…gorgeously shot on location in Norway, with the widescreen lensing capturing the winter avalanches that happen with alarming regularity but are just a fact of life for the residents. The film also notably has no musical score, with only a bit of source music used to enhance the mood at times.”
With Neon handling domestic distribution following its triumphant festival debut, Fjord is positioning itself as a serious contender for the upcoming awards season. Expect it to be a frontrunner for a Best International Feature Oscar nomination, with Stan standing out as a formidable dark-horse candidate for Best Actor given his multilingual, transformative performance.