“On with the New” – A Coffee-Soaked Glance Back and Forward

Alright! “On with the New” is this year’s surprise shot, directed by the ever-weird Margareta Nyström (gotta love her 90s punk phase). The cast – come on, with Fares Fares swaggering through every scene and an almost Björn Gustafsson-level of awkward charm from new guy Hana Lind – it’s hard not to at least get curious. The old guard meets the next TikTok generation, you know?

But does it all work? Eh… sometimes. The whole film sort of smells like a freshly brewed cup in an old station kiosk: nostalgic but a bit bitter. There’s heart here, for sure. The way Margareta hammers on friendship and starting over, it reminded me of moving from Södermalm to Gothenburg in ‘97. Walking into a place with that mix of excitement and “var är närmaste Pressbyrån?” panic. It’s the deep sting and warmth of change, fighting in your chest. Margareta and the producer (Mattias Ek’s fingerprints are all over the soundtrack) really GET that jittery feeling. If you’ve ditched an old life or job, you’ll nod more than once.

But then there’s this odd, goofy tone that flops in, almost like watching Allsång på Skansen when you thought you were getting SVT’s crime drama. Some gags drag. Fares is brilliant in his grumpy-pratfall way, but I wasn’t feeling the subplot with Hana’s neighbour and her psychic cat. Sorry, det spårade ur.

A nice thing, though, is how Margareta references old Swedish flicks – like a blink-n-you’ll-miss-it nod to Bergman’s “Summer with Monika.” Love that kind of wink, even if it’s a bit hipster.

So: it’s messy, funny, a little lost. Feels like family Christmas after two too many lussebullar. Grows on you, but won’t be everyone’s cup of bryggkaffe. Still, worth seeing with a mate who likes talking all night after the credits roll.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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