Surprise Netflix Hit The Conference Blends Drama, Gore, and Pitch-Black Humor
The top non-English language film on Netflix last week was The Conference—a Swedish horror movie that’s no doubt drawing viewers in with its thumbnail of a ghoulishly grinning, dirt-stained mask. Those who click on it will be rewarded with a blend of corporate satire and campground slasher, filled with some of the most creative gore in recent memory.
In the nondescript Swedish countryside, a group of municipal workers gather for a mandatory team-building retreat ahead of the groundbreaking for a shopping mall they helped develop, but nobody in the local community supported. Among their numbers are Lina (Katia Winter), recently back on the job after extreme stress made medical leave necessary, and her office nemesis, the smarmy Jonas (Adam Lundgren)—but The Conference is an ensemble film, and it manages to infuse each of its characters with distinctive, appealing and/or comedically awful characteristics. The group doesn’t really see eye to eye on the project they’re ostensibly working on together, and Lina’s starting to have some doubts that the whole mall deal, engineered mostly by Jonas, is even on the level.
Read more
Props to director Patrik Eklund and writer Thomas Moldestad, who more than earn the right to transform “teamwork makes the dream work”—a glib slogan that sets the tone for the retreat—into a metaphor about battling a masked maniac alongside your co-workers.
The Conference is now streaming on Netflix.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
More from Gizmodo
Car Enthusiasts In New Zealand Are Blaring Celine Dion Songs In 'Siren Battles'
Zoe Kravitz and Channing Tatum Are Reportedly Heading to the Chapel
Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
