Conduit – a Slow Burn of Mystery and Memory

There I was, slumped in that creaky Bio Rio seat last Thursday, popcorn crumbs clinging to my Marimekko shirt, expecting some fast-paced thriller thanks to the hyped trailer. But Conduit surprised me with something completely different – a dreamy, atmospheric slow burner. Took me a while, but half-way through, the penny finally dropped: “Fan också, this is kinda great!”

Conduit follows Anna Kendrick in a more subtle role than usual – and I mean very subtle. She ditches her usual energetic charm for a quieter yet intriguing presence. Unsure if she’d nail it, but actually, Kendrick pulls through. Like a typical midsummer night in Värmland, the film drifts slowly but packed with tension underneath. Then Jamie Bell shows up, giving one of those performances you forget he’s capable of until he’s right there in front of you, crushing every damn scene with quiet unpredictability.

Direction-wise, Reed Morano (yep – same cinematographer who directed a couple Handmaid’s Tale episodes) captures the chilly, shadowy cinematography with spot-on precision. It’s the kind of films you sorta want to wrap around yourself lika an IKEA-filt. But, truthfully, I got a little confused in the middle. Can’t deny that. Lost track of what’s memory, what’s real – though I guess that’s intentional?

And maybe that’s fitting. Weirdly enuff, Conduit reminded me of the time I lost my grandma’s necklace in Skansen back in the 90’s, desperately trying to recall every step. Kendrick’s search mirrors that frustration & nostalgia: loss, memory, desperation…

So don’t go expecting popcorn-action à la Mission Impossible here: Conduit needs patience, maybe an extra cup kaffe. It lingers with you, nagging quietly long after the credits roll. That’s worth something, right?

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