SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Keira Brennan The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

bts1984 This is one terrific movie, I can't believe they keep it hidden like this. I know very few norwegian movies, but I can tell this one is among the great ones.What makes this movie so great? A lot of things. The plot is as intriguing as it is original and unusual. The norwegian settings are beautiful. There is tension, intensity, suspense and black, morbid humor. It's a very crazy movie and its craziness is a key reason why I like it so much. I like crazy movies and this is by far one of the craziest I know. Film-making, direction and picture quality are first class. The actors are terrific. Nothing or almost nothing is over the top, even though the character Einar does some truly disturbing (even shocking) things.Lene Elise Bergum is super as Lene. She is so believable that when she is seized by panic, it looks as if she's gonna collapse. And she's one of the hottest people I've ever seen in a movie.Svein Roger Karlsen is phenomenal as Einar. He convinces to the point of, more than portraying the character, seeming as if he *becomes* him. His facial expressions are priceless. He is completely crazy, enigmatic, ironic, hilarious and creepy and sinister when he's supposed to. This guy is like a norwegian Jack Nicholson and Peter Lorre.Morten Abel makes a great Bjørn. Reidar Sørensen is as intense in his acting as his character Gaute is (in other words, a beautiful acting).As expected, I have to say this: this movie had an American remake (itself not much better known than the original). The remake closely follows the original's plot and they are indeed very similar but obviously differ in details and the remake is more americanized. The remake seemed fine before but that was before I found out there is an original and compared them. The original triumphs beyond any doubt.In comparison, the original is "truer", darker in some ways and more "humble" in others, has more beautiful scenario, infinitely better acting from the actors and avoids the laughable faults detected in the remake. Some things in the remake are over the top (for example, the chainsaw scene - PLEASE!!!) - of which the original is void of.Lene Elise Bergum is phenomenal, easily a lot more convincing than Cameron Diaz. Lene is so much more intense. Harvey Keitel tries the best he can, but he just isn't in the same league as Svein Roger Karlsen. Craig Sheffer was enjoyable, but then again Morten Abel is better. Billy Zane is boring, which Reidar Sørensen never is.Don't know the title in Portugal.

Prognathous I saw the American remake ("Head Above Water") when it was released in 1996. It was a true comedy of errors - full of laughs and funny gags. Having now watched the original Norwegian film on video, I'm quite disappointed. It's not much more than a mediocre suspense/thriller film. Had I not seen the American remake, I wouldn't have believed that this could be a comedy at all.I'm not sure what made the difference. It surely wasn't the subtitles, which I much prefer over dubbing. Furthermore, I'm not used to hearing Norwegian, but it wasn't an issue either, in fact, I loved the way it sounds.What else? The plot and script. Nine years have passed by since I saw the remake, but it seems both films are very similar, so it must have something to do with acting I guess. Cameron Diaz is not much of a comedian, but she was still funnier than Lene Elise Bergum. Nevertheless, the latter did frequently display a couple of other positive traits, so I have no regrets she was in the film. The rest of the cast were also sufficient, yet ill-inspired. Svein Roger Karlsen as the husband was sub-par. He was the only one that looked like he was trying to act in a comedy, but it didn't work out too well (never brought a smile to my face). Morten Abel as the friend was rather bland and Reidar Sørensen as the ex-boyfriend was just as annoying as his character should have been (which is good).All in all, if you haven't seen either film - skip this one. The remake is definitely better.Prog.

sveknu This movie, "Hodet over vannet", has later been remade in the Hollywood-version "Head Above Waters". Usually, originals tend to be better than remakes. From what I heard, that is exactly the case with this one. I wish I could confirm just that, but I can't since I haven't seen the Hollywood version. Now, back to this movie. Norwegian movies tend to stink big time, but this is an exception to that. The story is really good, and there are lots of surprises as it proceeds. The surroundings is south Norway in the summer, and it really fits to the movie and the plot. The especially interesting part about the plot, is that you never really know who's the bad guy, if there's any bad guy at all.

anti_kaninkoker People went crazy in '96 when Head Above Water hit the movies in the us. Not so many people know, but it's actually "Hodet Over Vannet" that came before the English version. One of the best norwegian movies ever made. If you speak English, and have seen this version, and liked it, I surly recommend "De dødes tjern" as well. It's from the 60, and are definitely one of norways tresures as well:) One of the things I also like; Is that my all time fave norwegian singer Morten Abel is acting in it. He might be best known from the pop group The September When, but he also has a huge acting talent. He also sings the title song, whitch is an all time classic in norwegian music, I think:)