''The Oath'' ( is, Eiðurinn) is a 2016 Icelandic

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

written by Ólafur Egill Egilsson, and co-written and directed by

Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson (born 27 February 1966) is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films '' 101 Reykjavík'', '' The Sea'', ''A Little Trip to Heaven'', '' Contraband' ...

, who also plays the leading role. It was screened in the Special Presentations section at the

2016 Toronto International Film Festival The 41st annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 8 to 18 September 2016. The first announcement of films to be screened at the festival took place on 26 July. Almost 400 films were shown. Awards The festival's final awards were ...

. It was the most popular movie in Icelandic theaters in 2016.

Plot

Finnur is a surgeon who is worried about his eldest daughter, Anna. Anna has been involved with drugs and Finnur is made aware that Anna's boyfriend Óttar is a drug dealer. Thinking he is a bad influence on Anna, Finnur tries to break up the relationship. But neither Anna nor Óttar has any intention in doing so and Óttar becomes threatening due to Finnur's incursions on their private life. After Finnur's workmate Halldór shows him a victim of a shooting, Finnur starts to plan for Óttar's disappearance.

Cast

as Finnur *

Hera Hilmar Hera Hilmarsdóttir (born 27 December 1988), known professionally as Hera Hilmar, is an Icelandic actress. She has been active in the film industry since 1995. Personal life Hera is the daughter of the film director Hilmar Oddsson and the actres ...

as Anna *

Gísli Örn Garðarsson Gísli Örn Garðarsson (born 15 December 1973) is an Icelandic actor and director. He is one of the founders of Vesturport, a theatre and film company based in Reykjavík, and is also sometimes a scriptwriter and producer. Before focusing on ac ...

as Óttar *

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson (; born 22 November 1963) is an Icelandic actor who has worked extensively in Icelandic cinema. He has had roles in Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's '' Englar alheimsins'' (''Angels of the Universe'') and Baltasar Kormá ...

as Halldór *

Þorsteinn Bachmann Þorsteinn Bachmann (born 25 October 1965) is an Icelandic actor. He is known for his role as Móri in ''Life in a Fishbowl''. In 2015 he won an Edda Award for that same role. Early life Þorsteinn grew up in the Fossvogur area of Reykjavík ...

as Ragnar

Reception

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website

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, the film holds a 75% approval rating, based on 16 reviews with an average rating of 7/10. Adam Graham of ''

Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...

'' had compared the film to ''

Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

'' and '' Taken'', and praised Kormákur for setting " nicy tone from the beginning". Matthew Lickona of ''

San Diego Reader The ''San Diego Reader'' is an alternative press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. pol ...

'' jokingly have said that " 'The Oath''is anti-''Taken'', though definitely not a Given", adding in his closing comments that "Everyone gets sympathy; no one gets excused". Michael McNeely of That Shelf (formerly ''

The Hindu Business Line ''Business Line'' or ''The Hindu Business Line'' is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper ''The Hindu'' located in Chennai, India. The newspaper covers priority industry verticals, such as Agri ...

''), compared the film to ''

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'' and ''

The Unknown Woman ''The Unknown Woman'' ( it, La sconosciuta, ; also known as ''The Other Woman'') is a 2006 Italian psychological thriller mystery film, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore that depicts a woman alone in a foreign country, haunted by a horrible past. ...

'', but said that "unlike ''The Unknown Woman'', the investigation is fast-paced and the results are found quickly". Brent McKnight of ''

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...

'' had commented on film's "escalating psychological tension", adding that it "eschews the action trappings for delicate character work". According to Laura DeMarco of ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of M ...

'', "

he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

is a philosophical drama that asks is it right for a father to go to such lengths". Unlike other critics, ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by ...

''s Ben Sachs found the film "ugly and misanthropic".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oath, The 2010s thriller films Icelandic thriller films Films directed by Baltasar Kormákur Films scored by Hildur Guðnadóttir 2010s Icelandic-language films