Involuntary

Engrossing and weirdly funny.

Involuntary doesn't simplify its stories into a single point of view or idea; rather, Östlund is merely visiting these high-pressure moments in which Swedish culture frays, melts down, and betrays its ultra-civilized idea of itself.

The vignettes of rule-breaking and social exclusion have a funny and stinging force.

The bitterly funny, multistrand Involuntary, from 2008, is a step forward in the director’s ambition.

Beyond theme, however, these stories are united by the agonizing, low-level tension Östlund brings to bear on every scene, which vary in importance, but not in consequences for the characters involved.

A challenging and intelligent Swedish drama that still raises laughs.

We expect these stories to intersect, but instead they are completely self-contained narratives that rarely reach a potent dramatic conclusion. More irritating is Ostlund's shooting style, which consists of very long takes from an unmoving camera, often from the backs of the heads of important characters.