Berdreymi

Beautiful Beings

A film by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson

Four troubled young teen-aged boys in a suburb of Reykjavík struggle to find themselves in this gripping drama. This is not an easy film to watch; the pointless violence of the teens is reflected in the wreckage of the broken lives of their parents. This movie won’t bring any tourists into Iceland, but much of it rings true to me, especially with the very limited experiences I’ve had with young males and single mothers in Reykjavík, and with my own experiences growing up in the 60s.

Set in the late 90s/early 00s (computers but no smart phones) the film plays out over the span of a couple of weeks, following the boys in turns as they bluster, smoke, drink and do drugs on their way through one self-generated crisis after another. There is a bit of supernatural nonsense thrown in but the narrative is generally straightforward and reaches a conclusion that I found satisfactory. The entire cast is excellent, especially the boys who will probably become the next generation of Icelandic film stars. Anita Briem appears as a mother of one of the youths and, in an horrific cameo, Ólafur Darri Olafsson makes an appearance (and manages to get naked as usual). I saw both Páll Óskar and Samaris listed in the musical credits.

A limited recommendation. It is thought-provoking but difficult to watch. The Icelandic title translates as "nightmare."