ABOVE AVERAGE

On a ferry carrying 1,200 passengers in the middle of the Baltic, vampires begin to feed on a few of them… but soon everything gets out of control.

Fans of horror writer Mats Strandberg will recognize and appreciate his touch in this miniseries; there’s likable, vulnerable characters that he empowers, along with cruel ones that he punishes. Tension builds skillfully as panic spreads in the confines of a ship.

The visual effects are a mixed bag, but the cast is satisfying, including Marika Lagercrantz and Thomas Hanzon as an endearingly unusual couple of would-be lovers; Björn Bengtsson stands out as a failed Eurovision artist-cum-bloodsucker.

2025-Sweden-U.K.-U.S. 258 min. Color. Created by Chris Andrews, Mats Strandberg. Teleplay: Malin Lagerlöf, Mats Strandberg. Novel: Mats Strandberg. Cast: Tuppence Middleton (Edith), Kolbjörn Skarsgård (Walter), Björn Bengtsson (Dan), Jessica Grabowsky, Pekka Strang, Kevin Roxenby da Silva, Christopher Wagelin, Marika Lagercrantz, Thomas Hanzon. 

Trivia: Original title: Färjan. Originally shown in six episodes. Andy Serkis was considered for a role. 

Last word: “I was a little scared of working with an author on his own novel. But Mats was very generous. He could be tougher on the material than I was at times. When I’d say ‘maybe we should be careful with that’, he’d say ‘no, get rid of it’. It was wonderful.” (Lagerlöf, Filmtopp)