Hey folks! You know, sometimes when you sit down with a fika and a film, you have no idea what kind of rabbit hole you’re about to tumble into. “Route Irish”—what a trip, I’m telling you. Directed by Ken Loach, it’s not your typical action flick, nu. It’s this gritty tale revolving around Fergus, a contractor in Iraq, who’s investigating the suspicious death of his best friend.

Straight off the bat, let me say, I was expecting explosions and car chases around every corner. But no, this one’s got depth! A bit like when you’re opening a tube of Kalles Kaviar and expect it to just be salty but find a surprising tang. The movie does tackle some brutal themes, what’s going on in them war zones and all. Makes you ponder about the decisions we make in life, ya know?

Now, I’m not usually a fan of heavy political stuff—give me a good Ingmar Bergman existential crisis any day. But blimey, the storytelling here got me hooked. Mark Womack, who plays Fergus, he’s got such intensity. Those piercing looks… almost made me feel I knew what he was thinking. Though, honestly, sometimes the plot got as tangled as a plate of spaghetti. Had to rewind a couple times, thinking “Men va tusan händer här?”

Okay, here’s a fun personal tidbit: Back in the day, I had a mate working in security overseas — not quite Iraq, more like Poland — and this film brought back those sleepless nights of worrying. It’s a strange kinda nostalgia but real, ya know?

“Route Irish” ain’t perfect, but it’s very “ärlig,” if that makes sense. It doesn’t pretend, much like a good old Swedish winter.

If you’re in the mood for something more than just popcorn entertainment, check out the trailer Route Irish. Cheers!