Title: Natatorium
MPA Rating: NR
Director: Helena Stefansdóttir
Starring: Ilmur María Arnarsdóttir, Elin Petersdottir, Stefania Berndsen
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

What It Is: A talented young musician looking to break into the industry, the bright 18 year-old Lilja (Arnarsdóttir) stays with her estranged grandparents in order to attend auditions, against her father’s wishes. Though idyllic, both the grandparents and the house harbor twisted secrets, unbeknownst to Lilja. Looking to take care of her niece and dying brother Kalli staying with their unstable mother Áróra (Petersdottir), struggling alcoholic Vala (Berndsen) visits the house to try and supervise the family, sensing something bad is on the horizon but is unsure whether or not she should keep the peace for the sake of the innocent.

What We Think: In the past, I haven’t exactly been wowed by family dramas, but this… is something quite different. Sopping with atmosphere that teeters between melancholic dread and starry-eyed nostalgia, this Icelandic-based film delicately and cleverly walks the line. And it’s simple: we’re introduced to the house, then its inhabitants, old and new. We see the breakdown of their relationships, their familiarity or lack thereof. Being introduced to the estranged grandparents through the lens of passionate and exuberant dreamer Lilja sets the scene that has us vicariously curious, rooting for her aspirations, but with Vala, the “troubled daughter” of the family and her aunt, we also find an intense caution. You come to really care for each of the characters and their intertwined histories, and how their trauma undercurrents their everyday. Though it may not be edgy, scary, or intense enough at face value, at least for what we’re used to seeing, this ended up being a really beautiful and engaging drama that had me reeled into internal conflicts, with strong characters and natural talent at its core. I also strangely felt an ache and a longing associated with the characters and their stories, something that feels very rare for me.

Our Grade: B+, Mysterious and captivating, Natatorium is a fascinating and stylish exploration of a family carrying dark secrets and tainted relationships, as new ones begin to bloom. It asks the question, do we try to protect and warn those of others who we see as potentially dangerous, or preserve the innocence and light that remains?