Stockholm (2018)

Directed by: Robert Budreau | 92 minutes | biography, comedy | Actors: Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Mark Rendall, Ian Matthews, John Ralston, Shanti Roney, Christopher Wagelin, Thorbjørn Harr, Gustaf Hammarsten, Vladimir Jon Cubrt

‘Stockholm’ by director Robert Budreau tells of the ‘first hostage drama in Sweden’, in 1973, and is seen as the source of the famous Stockholm syndrome, a well-known concept a year later due to the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, the daughter of a newspaper magnate .

Developing feelings for your hostage-abductor is what happens to Bianca Lind (Noomi Rapace), a bank employee and mother of two young children. When fully leathered, long-haired ‘cowboy’ Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) steps into her bank and asks her to call the police commissioner, the game and hostage taking in Sweden’s largest bank, the Kreditbanken, is upon the wagon.

Lars asks for the release of his ‘brother’, also bank robber, Gunnar Sorensson (a pale Mark Strong), one million dollars in unmarked bills and a Mustang as a getaway car (the model Steve McQueen drove around in the classic ‘Bullit’). This is followed by a cat-and-mouse game with Commissioner Mattson (Christopher Heyerdahl), who seems reluctant to give the somewhat naive, chaotic bank robber anything he asks for. Gunnar is indeed released and joins Lars.

There are now only three hostages left: Erlov, Klara and Bianca. The hours in – mainly – the safe-deposit box of the bank are becoming days. The commissioner overhears the actions and Lars and Gunnar try to make their own tactical move. Lars manages to persuade Bianca to let herself be shot during a so-called escape attempt. She’s wearing a bulletproof vest, so what could happen? Commissioner Mattson adds even more fuel to the fire by calling Lars a “pussy.” After this Bianca actually shoots down, the Commissioner is momentarily taken aback and it seems that the two men and their hostages can indeed get away in the glitzy ‘runaway car’. They cheered too early, because Mattson lets a tire puncture (“Sorry, that happened by accident!”) and the men decide to retreat back to the couch. Lars and Bianca draw closer to each other, to the point that Bianca even lectures her own Prime Minister Olof Palme and stands up for the caring bank robber when it turns out that the strong arm is not keeping to the agreements.

‘Stockholm’ is based on an absurd but true story. Absurd indeed, because some actions are almost laughable. At one point, Bianca’s husband, Christopher, comes to take a look at the bank. Bianca takes this opportunity to explain to him how to cook a fish for the kids (!?). There are more unbelievable twists in the story, which makes you wonder: How did Lars and Gunnar last so long in that couch? Actually, the following dialogue between Mattson and Lars sums up the entire movie. Lars: “I thought you had some power.” Matsson: “I thought I was dealing with a real bank robber.” Lars idealizes his “blood brother” Gunnar who had notorious bank robberies to his name. In the end, the bank robbery turns out to be much less of a ‘walk in the park’ than previously thought. And yes, adding those feelings for Bianca, that doesn’t make it any easier…