The Perfect Patient – ​​Quick (2019)

Directed by: Mikael Håfström | 122 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Jonas Karlsson, David Dencik, Alba August, Magnus Roosmann, Suzanne Reuter, Linda Ulvaeus, Christopher Wagelin, Björn Bengtsson, Johan Hedenberg, Peter Andersson, Anders Mossling, Aiva Anani, Selma Glasell, Emanuel Habtu, Jarle Hammer

‘The Perfect Patient’ by director Mikael Hafström (‘1408’, ‘The Rite’) is the true story of the case of Thomas Quick (David Dencik from “Chernobyl”), a man convicted of eight murders and also had confessed to another 25 murders. A case that received a lot of attention in Sweden and which, through the involvement of investigative journalists Hannes Rastam and Jenny Küttim, resulted in the largest legal scandal in Swedish history.

Because everything seems to show that there seems to be little real evidence in the Thomas Quick case, Hannes (with the correct, hypothermic emotions played by Jonas Karlsson), afflicted with an unshakable sense of justice, wants to investigate the case more deeply. He goes to the psychiatric institution where he is staying for various talks/interviews with Thomas (real name Sture Bergwall) and learns more and more about the methods used and motives of the police and the judiciary. His young assistant Jenny (Alba August) is not inferior to Hannes in eagerness and steadfastness in this matter. She, too, is biting into this vast matter in order to uncover the truth.

Their research shows that Thomas/Sture made his statements and confessions mainly under the influence of large amounts of benzodiazepine. The more he told, the greater the liberties he was allowed (including a bigger room and almost unlimited access to any medication), so Thomas makes up one unbelievable story after another. Please note: this was largely encouraged by the detectives and professional psychologists who assisted him in this. Even testimonies confirming Thomas/Sture’s innocence are deliberately ignored during the investigation and considered ‘inapplicable’. Barbertje had to and would hang, but that was beyond the two values ​​Hannes and Jenna counted…

The two investigative journalists manage to get to the bottom of everything and expose the greatest legal failure Sweden has ever known. Hannes has to fight another fight during the case, he is diagnosed with cancer. However, he is not deterred by this and continues to fight to get Thomas/Sture, whom he now sees as a friend, free.

‘The Perfect Patient’ is labeled a ‘thriller’, but is actually more of a drama. A personal drama for the two protagonists. One who, accidentally after a failed bank robbery, tries to make the best of his ability in a mental institution and the other who fights with fire and sword for justice despite his own diminished condition. It’s a film that, as the puzzle pieces get better and better, almost makes you fall off your chair in amazement. How could this man be wrongly punished with impunity? Seeing is believing, especially the video recordings of the reconstructions, but can you still believe it?