Paula van der Oest

While the film’s underlying subject–the poisonous legacy of childhood abuse–could be called lurid, director Paula Van der Oest and screenwriter Caroline Goodall keep the focus firmly on the characters, with Claes Bang and Olga Kurylenko delivering nuanced performances that give their characters surprising depth given that the film maintains the swift pace of a thriller, and the beautiful production design and cinematography never detract from the ugliness of their experiences.