Handling the Undead

In the picturesque summer days of Oslo, the sun beats down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the city's tranquil streets. But beneath the surface of this serene existence, a phenomenon begins to unfold, shattering the lives of three families and plunging them into a whirlwind of chaos and confusion. Handling the Undead, a thought-provoking and gripping film, tells the story of a world turned upside down, where the deceased, risen from their graves, return to their families, leaving them struggling to comprehend this inexplicable event. At the heart of the story are the three families - the Bergens, the Hjemlings, and the Gundersens - whose lives intersect in unexpected ways as they grapple with the unexpected presence of their deceased loved ones. For John Borgen, a middle-aged man struggling to cope with the loss of his wife, the arrival of his deceased wife, Guro, is both a blessing and a curse. While overjoyed at the chance to reconnect with his partner, John is also torn by the reality of Guro's condition - she is not the woman he once knew, but a reanimated corpse, struggling to comprehend the world around her. As the situation escalates, the Bergens find themselves at the forefront of the crisis, their home serving as a makeshift sanctuary for those who have awakened from the dead. However, not everyone is as fortunate as Guro; other families, like the Hjemlings, are faced with a far more sinister reality. Lars Hjelming, a gruff and hardened man, finds himself at odds with his deceased father, who now serves as an unwelcome shadow, disrupting the already fragile family dynamics. His wife, Ellen, is torn between her love for her family and the growing resentment towards her father-in-law, who seems determined to wreak havoc on their lives. Meanwhile, the Gundersens, a close-knit family that had lost their young son, Erik, a few years ago, are confronted with a particularly disturbing manifestation of the undead. Erik's return is an event both beautiful and terrifying, as his family is forced to confront the reality of his existence and the pain they have endured without him. His mother, Ingrid, is overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, struggling to reconcile her love for her son with the knowledge that he is, in fact, dead. Throughout the film, Director, Jonas Gudmundson masterfully explores the complexities of grief, love, and the human condition. Handling the Undead is a poignant and unsettling experience, which raises fundamental questions about life, death, and the nature of existence. As the families grapple with the undead, they are forced to confront their darker selves, confronting long-repressed emotions, buried secrets, and unresolved conflicts. Through the narrative, we witness the gradual breakdown of relationships, as families are torn asunder by the weight of their grief and the pressures of living with the dead. The atmosphere of Oslo's city streets becomes increasingly eerie, reflecting the chaos and confusion that reigns in the hearts of the living. Gudmundsen skillfully employs a range of camera angles, incorporating an unnerving color palette that heightens the tension and unease of the situation. As the families navigate their new reality, they begin to unravel the mystery behind the undead. They discover that the dead are not merely reanimated corpses but, in fact, have been imbued with an eerie kind of consciousness, driven by a primal desire for human connection. These beings, struggling to recall their past lives and relationships, embody the longing for love and acceptance, which is so intrinsic to human existence. Ultimately, the story of Handling the Undead serves as a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition, raising questions about what it means to be alive and how we connect with one another across the threshold of life and death. As the city of Oslo struggles to make sense of the phenomenon, the three families find themselves at a crossroads, forced to confront their own mortality and the true meaning of love and loss.