Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: NO REST FOR THE WICKED [Fantastic Fest - Austin, Texas]

Forbidden love in age of superstition always can lead to a sense of fear oppression. Tales close to the sea also take on these textures since in many ways, back in the late 1800s, as well as today, it represents the aspect of the unknown. “No Rest For The Wicked” follows Baldur (Egor Venned), a young man living with his mother Asla in a fishing village. One day a whaler (Pilou Asbæk) comes off a ship and finds a berth to stay in their home while he waits for the next ship that needs a crew to go out. There is a draw between the two men which eventually they themselves can’t resist. A swim sequence on the edge of a fjord, especially an underwater sequence shows their secrecy in an age of criticism. However tragedy strikes and the film then takes on a supernatural context. However within that idea it doesn’t give a sense of how or why...it just is.

Baldur of course feels abandoned but, as certain vampire lore insists, love never dies. The concept though of projection and hallucination is loosely used. Asla is ever a religious woman, even though a small detail shows she tries to seduce the whaler (who politely stays quiet at the beginning). Asla loves her son but also is crippled by what people think. Interestingly enough, those she brings in to help her figure out what lured her son leads to more unrest. The imagery and eventual coupling of the men is meant to be a counter reflective perception of the society it is showing. Interestingly enough certain ways to battle such creatures are taken to task with off kilter results. The eventual resolution has to do with embracement, at least in the mother’s eyes, of something unnatural for the love of her son...and to let sleeping beasts lie. 81%/B/B-

By Tim Wassberg