Karusell – 2023

Karusell translates to Carousel in English. It’s set in this famous Swedish amusement park Liseberg. Of course, I can’t be sure that every single shot is filmed there but it seems so. I, myself haven’t been there for numerous years but I feel like I recognize some of the environment. In any case, it looks very believable. It’s set at night as the plot takes us to a Halloween special VIP night. There are only a single group of people invited. A single group of people with something in common as it will turn out.

I like the premises for the continuation of the film. Some youngster alone in an amusement park, it’s kind of like Tobe Hooper Funhouse from 1981. Maybe not totally comparable since the motivation is very different but the setting is kind of the same. Karusell goes around the entire park though and not just a single location.

Happily Surspised

I must say I was happily surprised but Karusell. I didn’t know a whole lot about the movie before I saw it but it’s actually really good. It’s a classic slasher-thriller when we have all the ingredients for a great film in the genre. We have the masked killer, there is the motif of revenge, brutal murders, and, of course, the surprise when we learn who the killer really is and why the young people are being killed one after another. It could easily be compared to the original Friday the 13th. There are clear similarities but also differences in the storyline.

But it’s tense and The killings are really inventive at times. I like that, and I think most fans of slasher movies like that. It’s kind of the point with slasher movies. To see the killer kill in unusual ways. Can you imagine what a killer could use when it’s set in an amusement park among funhouses and roller coasters? Let’s just say that there are a few food ones in there. This is the most entertaining slasher I’ve seen in ages, to be frank. But to be totally honest I haven’t seen too many of them in recent years. Maybe because they got dull and repetitive after a while. Karusell resets that feeling a bit for me. I’m gonna start watching slashers again!

There are some setbacks though. I wish I could give it a higher rater because based on the plain slasher elements it certainly deserves it. But there are some problems for me with the acting and the dialogue. Most of it I can take but there are a few occasions where I really feel it could have been better. But beggars can’t be choosers I guess. This is a fine slasher!