A priest, Helen (Sofie Gråbøl) is approached for help by Lisbeth (Signe Egholm Olsen) a psychiatrist who is caring for a young suicidal patient, after their religious rantings. She discovers a young man who had murdered an old couple with no apparent motive.
The Hour of the Lynx – directed by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen – really does make the viewer feel like an amateur detective, as you try and figure out a series of tragic events surrounding the boy, which take place in the psychiatric hospital. Through the introduction of information involving the boy’s history, the viewer’s suspicions turn towards those with authority in the hospital, and their actions as to what is to come.
It is quite hard to write this review for The Hour of the Lynx without spoiling the narrative, as it truly is an experience that you would get more out of, the less you know about it going in. It is best enjoyed being ‘drip-fed’ the information as the narrative unfolds. I would say that this film is less about the crime committed, and more about the boy that is presented to us in the hospital, and how he has been ‘shaped’ into the person he is now.
The Hour of the Lynx is another reminder why Nordic Noir is currently so popular. As well as being a slick, beautifully shot film, it is also one that refuses to take the viewer by the hand and spoon-feed them. We sometimes come to expect that such films spell everything out to the viewer, leaving you to witness the events that unfold with minimal thought on your part. Thankfully, this film refuses to do so, and through the flow of information you are experiencing the events and emotions that make up a much larger story, ultimately exposing the tragic truth.
The Hour of the Lynx is available to buy now.
Review: The Hour of the Lynx
By Andreas Charalambous - 12th October 2014
Like we have come to expect from the many recent Scandinavian dramas, The Hour of the Lynx (I Lossens Time) involves an intelligent narrative which really makes the audience think.
In the best traditions of Columbo (which is one of my personal favourite television detective series) we actually see the violent events – and the culprit, even – of a murder, but we are provoked into thought about the enigma surrounding the poor boy who is being blamed.