Horror Movie Review: The Trip (I Onde Dager) (2021)

The Trip is a Norwegian comedy action horror released in 2021. Directed by Tommy Wirkola.

A faded film director, in debt and with a gambling addiction. Lars is forced to start directing a meaningless soap opera, for which he has no passion or talent for. After shooting a scene, Lars informs his lead actress that he’s taking his wife, Lisa, to their summer house in the woods. Lars quotes: Lisa wants to go on a hike.

Lars shares the exact details with his father, Mikkel, when visiting his retirement home. Mikkel is not very proud of Lars’ career choices. According to Mikkel, Lars could use war to understand the value of life.

Humiliated, Lars leaves Mikkel and reaches home with trekking tools. He hides them from Lisa. Together, they leave for the remote cabin near the lake. The argument during their journey establishes that Lisa is an actress struggling to get on set while Lars picks up odd direction jobs to put food on the table.

As Lars enters the cabin, he finds some cornflakes on the floor and his usual jumper is missing. However, he ignores these facts and prepares for his secret plan to be enacted. The following day, Lars approaches Lisa from behind with a hammer. But, Lisa targets Lars with a taser gun, and he instantly falls unconscious.

Lars wants to kill Lisa to get her insurance money through which he could have settled his debts. Lisa wants to liberate herself from a cold marriage that isn’t going anywhere. After killing off the odd jobs guy Lars brought along to assist him and struggling with the shotgun in the bedroom. The two end up shooting a hole in the ceiling and 3 men suddenly crash through the collapsed beams.

Roy, Petter, and Dave are escaped convicts, who happened upon the cabin. Unfortunately for all parties, Lisa and Lars arrived out of season. In exchange for their lives, and to spare Lars from sexual assault, Petter agrees to take Lisa to the bank and collect their supposed savings.

Can they all walk away from this nightmare? Or is it about to get much worse? Watch and find out.

The Trip is further proof that horror and comedy blend so well together. A well-executed and well-acted film, with brutal slapstick action, alongside fantastic gore. What else could you hope for in a movie?

The core of the film is the story. A solid and unique tale that follows a dysfunctional husband and wife. It treads on a good middle ground, so you still want them to survive and neither is more evil than the other. I enjoyed the fact that they both had real reasons for wanting to carry out each of their plans. Following the opening is a marvellous introduction of a trio of prison escapees. They have a brilliant dynamic and teeter on the edge of being either humorous or terrifying. The slapstick bloodbath that ensues with their arrival is great fun to witness.

The Trip never has a dull moment. It’s not just funny or scary. But within its layers is a tragic story and real emotions surrounding Lars’ father and their crumbling marriage. I enjoyed the transitions and how the film showed events lining up. It’s the small stuff, like where Lars’ jumper went. The only negatives I have are some small dumb decisions characters make and perhaps in the opening, there could have been more done with the Lars’ and Lisa attempting to murder each other.

Overall, I say, bring on more Norwegian comedy horrors. Definitely don’t avoid this film, even if you hate subtitles. The dubbing is fantastic and doesn’t take away from the real performances of the actors.