What Maisie Knew: A Whirlwind of Emotions

Grab yourself a fika, folks. We’re diving into the rinse cycle of messed-up adult relationships—told through the eyes of a kid. I caught “What Maisie Knew” the other day, a film that left me feeling like the weather at a Swedish midsummer—sunshine and rain at the same time. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, this movie takes glorious aim at the so-called perfect family.

Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan star as the sort of parents you wish were fictional, but let’s be honest, they’re all too real. Moore’s a rock star mom who’s more concerned with her next gig than Maisie, played beautifully by a young Onata Aprile. And Coogan, oh man, he’s that charming dad who’s never where you need him. It’s a rollercoaster of awkward mumbling and misplaced priorities.

Talking about rollercoasters, I remember visiting Liseberg with my kid back in the day and thought, “Please, just stick together for once before you board the crazy ride.” Life, like this film, doesn’t grant such easy wishes, and Maisie’s resilience is both heart-breaking and heartwarming.

And then there’s Alexander Skarsgård, our very own Viking, stumbling into Maisie’s life with an unlikely tenderness. As a Swedish bloke, seeing Skarsgård was like bumping into someone from home at the local ICA—unexpected, but terribly comforting.

The story’s got its flaws. Some parts felt as tangled as a ball of Christmas lights you only bring out once a year. But hey, when’s life ever smooth?

Trust me, it’s worth feeling all the feels. You might even find it resonates on a grey Tuesday in November, when the world seems both too big and too small. Just like our Maisie, who watches adults muck up everything but somehow finds her own shaky path.

Check the trailer below