Blackway: A Chilly Ride Through the Woods

Oh man, “Blackway.” So this is one of those quietly intense films that somehow sneaks up on you like a Swedish winter morning. Directed by Daniel Alfredson, of “The Girl Who Played with Fire” fame, it’s not your typical Hollywood blockbuster but more a slow-burn kind of thriller — like that time I got stuck in a northern cabin with nothing but a slow-burning log stove and a tattered mystery book.

Anthony Hopkins, you know, the guy who always makes me wonder whether I should be thrilled or scared, plays an old logger named Lester. You’ve got Julia Stiles, still rocking a certain vulnerability mixed with fierceness, and Alexander Ludwig as a sort of clumsy but earnest youngster. They’re on this mission to confront Blackway, played by Ray Liotta. Liotta brings his usual swagger, reminding me of that one time my neighbor tried to sell his used snowmobile with a smirk that said, “I know I’m overpricing this, but you want it.”

The movie’s set in the pouty kind of landscape that’s somehow cozy yet unsettling. You feel the cold creeping into your bones through the screen. It’s like sitting on a windswept Swedish coast with a cup of cold coffee, trying to make sense of life—or a bleak Bergman film.

There’s simplicity in the story, which is kind of refreshing. It’s a bit like having fiskbullar; you appreciate its plainness without needing all the bells and whistles. Sure, some bits feel slow, kind of like waiting for a Swedish train during a snowstorm, but there’s a beauty in the stillness, too. You start questioning who the real threat is—is it Blackway, or maybe the wilderness, or maybe just our own demons?

So, give it a shot. Maybe you’ll spot something hauntingly familiar, like an old tale told by the fire on a snow-heavy night. Who knows?

Check the trailer below