It's Norway during the Christmas season. Snowplows are clearing the road after a snow storm. A fuel truck gets stuck deep inside a long tunnel. Traffic is backed up and then the truck explodes.
This is a Norwegian disaster movie. I actually like most the part right before the fire. There is a sense of tension as the anticipation of the big explosion mounts. The issue with the fire is the smoke. It makes everything hard to see. The movie does a poor job laying out the map despite its simplicity. I just don't know where that anybody is located. It seems like a simple idea to back up slowly. At first, these guys are driving like maniacs and then they just don't try. Sadly, it's not like the audience can see much even if they do try. The first half has too much back story for these characters and the second half is not compelling enough. As such, it's a passable disaster movie.
Plot summary
Families and people on their way home for Christmas are trapped inside a tunnel when a truck carrying gas crashes and explodes, thereby causing the tunnel to be filled with hazardous smoke. A firefighter proceeds alone against his superiors' orders when he comes to know that his daughter is also stranded inside the dangerous tunnel.
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back up slowly
I don't work for you
The film opens by letting us know Norway has an issue with safety rooms and escape routes from their 1100 tunnels. The reason why their haven't been more causalities is because of the bravery of individuals. This movie is inspired by true events so we know there will be a tunnel accident and a brave rescue. Steve (Thorbjørn Harr) is the superhero in this film. He traded in his hammer for a snowplow. When he discovers his daughter, who was running away from home, is in the tunnel, well you know the rest.
In spite of being predictable, it was a decent film outside of the horrible dubbing of Andrea. Is the purple hair thing in style in Norway and do they really want it to snow for Christmas?
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Predictable, but rather enjoyable nonetheless.
I stumbled upon the 2019 Norwegian movie "Tunnelen" (aka "The Tunnel") by sheer random luck here in 2020. And given the last couple of years impressive disaster movies that have come from the Norwegian cinema, of course I had to sit down and watch "Tunnelen" as well.
First of all, I was surprised to see Thorbjørn Harr in the lead, and I will say that he definitely carried the role and the movie quite well with his performance.
"Tunnelen" was entertaining, for sure, however it did suffer a bit from being rather predictable. And that was a shame, because it slightly held the movie back from achieving further greatness. But worry not, I am not saying that "Tunnelen" is a bad or boring movie, far from it. Actually, I found the movie to be entertaining and enjoyable - just a shame that you knew exactly how the storyline would pan out from the very beginning.
The movie takes place mostly in a smoke-filled tunnel, so you don't get to see much of the majestic landscapes of my ancestral home Norway. However, I will say that, while the movie took place mostly in a dark and smoke-filled environment, then the cinematography and camera-work was really good, and it felt like you were right there in the chaos alongside with the actors.
"Tunnelen" had a good cast to fill out the various roles and characters, and they definitely contributed well to the overall enjoyment of the movie.
I am rating "Tunnelen" a solid six out of ten stars. It is quite well-worth sitting down to watch, and I can warmly recommend this movie.