''The Hypnotist'' ( sv, Hypnotisören) is a 2012 Swedish
crime thriller
Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
film directed by
Lasse Hallström
Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop group ABBA, and subsequently became a feature film director. He was nominated for an Acade ...
, based on the Swedish
novel of the same name by
Lars Kepler
Lars Kepler is the pseudonym of husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril (b. 1966) and Alexander Ahndoril (b. 1967), authors of the Joona Linna series. With eight installments to date, the series has sold 15 million copies in 40 languages. ...
. The film was selected as the Swedish entry for the
Best Foreign Language Oscar at the
85th Academy Awards
The 85th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2012 in film, films of 2012 and took place on February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, ...
, but it did not make the final shortlist.
Plot
To apprehend a killer who has executed a whole family except for sole survivor Josef, Detective Joona seeks help from Dr. Erik, a specialist in acute trauma and
hypnotism
Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...
, to obtain case details from Josef, who is comatose. Erik is an
insomnia
Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
c, who takes heavy sleeping pills and has marital troubles. Although he is suspended from practice, he tries to help but pulls back after seeing discomfort in Josef. Later Erik's son Benjamin is kidnapped by someone who drugged both his wife and son, leaving threatening notes behind for Erik to stop hypnotizing. In search of his son, Erik hypnotizes Josef and discovers that he was the killer and acted under the influence and instructions of his birth mother. By way of hypnotizing his wife, Erik then figures out that Josef's mother is Lydia, a nurse who looked after him at the hospital. Joona learns she is mentally unstable and that she is Benjamin's kidnapper, and later uncovers the location of the house where she is staying with Benjamin. They go there to retrieve him and arrest Lydia. Lydia, who thinks Benjamin is her son Josef and the policemen have come to take away her child, fires her weapon and tries to escape with Benjamin in her school bus. In panic she drives her van onto thin ice over a frozen lake. Joona manages to save Benjamin, but Lydia drowns. On Christmas Day, Erik and his family eat out happily and Joona visits his female partner at home.
Cast
*
Tobias Zilliacus as Joona Linna
*
Mikael Persbrandt
Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...
as Erik Maria Bark
*
Lena Olin
Lena Maria Jonna Olin (; born 22 March 1955) is a Swedish actress. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she made her screen de ...
as Simone Bark
*
Helena af Sandeberg
Helena Beata Maria af Sandeberg (Solna, 1 September 1971) is a Swedish actress.
Early life
Helena af Sandeberg was born on 1 September 1971 in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden and grew up in Rotebro, Stockholm County, Sweden. She studied at Söd ...
as Daniella
*
Jonatan Bökman as Josef
*
Oscar Pettersson
Oscar Pettersson (born 6 June 2000) is a Swedish footballer who plays for IF Brommapojkarna as a forward.
On 4 September 2020 Pettersson was loaned out to Superettan club Akropolis IF until the end of the season with the possibility for Djurgår ...
as Benjamin
*
Eva Melander as Magdalena
*
Anna Azcarate
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
as Lydia
*
Johan Hallström
Johan Hallström (born ''Johan Nils Hallström''; born 4 March 1976), is a Swedish actor, who studied at Teaterhögskolan i Stockholm. He is the son of film director Lasse Hallström and TV producer Malou Hallström. He is also grandson of Pri ...
as Erland
*
Göran Thorell
Göran Thorell (born 24 May 1954 in Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish actor. He studied at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting.
Selected filmography
*2012 - '' The Hypnotist''
*2005 - '' Wallander – Afrikanen''
*2004 - ...
as Stensund
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
*
*
2012 films
2012 crime thriller films
Swedish crime thriller films
2010s Swedish-language films
Films directed by Lasse Hallström
Films about hypnosis
2010s Swedish films
{{2010s-crime-film-stub