Just when desperation sets in, just when you think you can’t watch one more mediocre indie festival film, just when you want to vow away movies forever, along comes Eternal Summer, a well done, engrossing drama that starts out as one thing but eventually morphs into another, especially after taking an unexpected dark turn.
Filip Berg plays Isak, a carnival worker who heads home with a woman for a one-night stand only to encounter the woman’s boyfriend–and another woman. Panicked, both Isak and this other woman (Madeline Martin) flee, beginning a whirlwind romance that results in them hitting the road with no end goal in mind.
And then a bad thing happens.
Both Berg and Martin are terrific in their respective roles, delivering soulful, emotional and engaging performances. They have tremendous chemistry with one another and you soon forget these two are actors playing parts.
Swedish writer/director Andreas Öhman brings their story to life with beautiful visuals and a solid screenplay that largely feels organic and believable. Once the bad thing happens, the movie picks up another notch, though the film’s final moments are a tad questionable. Nonetheless, Eternal Summer is exceptionally well done.
Eternal Summer screened at the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.