Not to steal my friend,Carla's thunder. But, this is my first movie review. It is a continuation piece for Finnish Media. But if you like horror movies and podcasts please subscribe to my friend's podcast! Here is the link: Gore and Grapes Podcast.Carla works hard on her podcast. She does a fantastic job in my opinion. I was inspired by her podcast.
Kyrsyä is a Finnish film. It has English subtitles. I tried turning them off. They still appeared. The English name is "Tuftlands". In my post, I'll be refererring to the movie in it's original name. I speak Finnish so it makes sense to me. The word Kyrsyä means to squirm or to feel aversion, disgust, or repulsion. In all honesty, I am mysterified that a Finnish goregrind band hasn't used this word as a band name yet. To Metal Archives! I was right. No one has used this word. It's available, if anyone wants it.
Yes. I went there. I researched it. So you don't.
Boy, did I squirm. The first time I watched this movie, I was horrified. I actually paused the film for 10 minutes just to try to understand what I just watched. And that was after 15 minutes of me watching this movie. I was not prepared.
I love psychological horror, folklore, and gothic horror (also known as monster horror) the most. Slashers do not do it for me. I get bored easily watching all these people getting dismembered for absolutely no reason. The only Dismember I love, is a band from Stockholm, Sweden.
Humans don't work that way. Even neurodivergent humans need reasons for why we do the things that we do. For this reason, I need horror movies with plots. Don't get me wrong, I like Giallo movies. Fulci and Argento movies are fun to watch. But that's because of the lighting, camera work, and costume designer. Having boobies in the movie also helps! Hahah. If you want to laugh your ass off for an hour, watch, The New York Ripper. I will not eleborate or the suprise will be ruined. Just do it! You won't regret it. But again, they have no plot.
Plots are essential to get a story moving. I need a reason, why things are happening. I am not superstitious or religious. Demonic possession does nothing for me. I think reality is horrifying enough. I watched this movie by myself. I've seen a lot of f--ked up movies and shows. True Crime is another genre of television I enjoy. For me, to actually feel horror and disgust takes a lot.
Kyrsyä is the story of a college girl who is upset because she feels like her life is not going the way she wants it to. The ideal summer intership she wanted did not pick her. Even worse, her musician boyfriend breaks up with her. Irina is sick of the rat race and materialism found in Helsinki. At the suggestion of her sister, she decides to accept a summer job in a secluded village of Kyrsyä.
Irina's first mistake was asking her sister to not tell her Mother or other siblings about this new summer job. She doesn't want them to worry about her. Her second mistake was going to a place where there is no cellphone reception. Call me a Gen-Zer, but I don't go anywhere without my phone. EI. EI. EI!! Which translates to "NO."
At first, things seem fine. Irina rides a bus to get there. She was escorted by the bus driver and a man in his 40s. I don't understand how this doesn't raise any alarm bells. But okay. She meets the 40 year old's family. She learns that this town is self-suffiecent and does not usually recieve outsiders. Another red flag to me. As the movie continues, it is very obvious that this secluded town is full of hypocrites. They claim that they worship nature yet are Christians. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! But what is even more horrifying is the misogyny that all the women allow. Irina has been accepted into an incestous cult! I've heard of rednecks. Bogans. And now we have Suomalainen rednecks who believe that new "blood" will remove their curse.
Here is a short clip. I do not own the rights.
I have so many questions as per usual:
1. How do they pick these women? Do they just send letters to every single woman who is 18+? That's a lot of postage for a town that is in the Northern part of Finland and wants to remain secluded from modernity.
2. How have they not been caught? These women are drugged and coered. Irina was told that she could leave if she wanted to. But a search party is still sent after her. Irina is basically prey.
3. Why are they keeping a human with developmental issues locked up? Although, he's not innocent either. This person calls all women, "herkulista" or "delicacy or treat."
4. I don't know what is more sickening, the fact that the elder women are enabling their sons' sick desires or the misogny.
5. Kyrsyä is not cursed. Being uneducated and not knowing how genes works is the curse. What did these people expect would happen? YOU DON'T HAVE SEX WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY!!! What is this? Did a bunch of Hasburgs move to Finland and didn't tell anyone?!
I had the same reaction after watching this film.
Kyrsyä was made in 2017. I am surprised this movie wasn't world renowned. I am more than certain that Ari Aster watched this movie and it influenced him to write Midsommar. Midsommar was released in 2019. Same creepy folkish vibes under the guise of we're just trying to get strangers to find where they belong. No burning bears, though. Finns love bears. They would never burn a karhu.
A beauitful moment ruined. That's exactly the point.
I was so perplexed by this movie because it gave me hardcore Midsommar feels that I had to show this to another person. Yup. I showed this movie to Ryan. I watched it for a second time. I was even more grossed out the second time. And I loved every second of it. Horror movies show us that we are human. That we do have a moral compass or can control our emotions. Maybe, I am a masochist, but I love when films make me feel something. And you should have seen the look on Ryan's face. He was appalled. Absolute shock on his face. He even told me that he didn't expect that this movie would get this dark that fast. In addition, I love when films make you think. You can take the English major out of the field, but I will still be there. The juxtoposition between city living and rual living is chef's kiss. What truly kills a civilization? Heartless consumerism. Or tradition. It's my opinion that Roope Olenius believes that people should not blindly follow anything if they do not have conviction. We should be questioning if blindless consumerism leads to happiness. Likewise, not all traditions are worth saving. As humans, we should be thinking critically, always. And this is why I love Scandinavian and Finnish movies. Even better, horror movies.
For all the reasons discussed Kyrsyä gets 5 out of 5.
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