Äventyr på hotell: A slow, odd afternoon in Stockholm

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for dusty, black-and-white comedies where everyone speaks in a slightly theatrical cadence, sure. You’ll probably like this if you enjoy movies that feel like a stage play held captive in a lobby. If you need pacing, modern stakes, or something that actually moves, you are going to hate it. It’s a very specific kind of slow.

Gunnar Berg is the kind of guy who thinks being unemployed is a personality trait. He’s hanging out at the Carlssons hotel, looking for roles that aren't coming, while his father is back in Sundsvall just wanting him to move some steel. It’s the classic struggle, right? Except Gunnar isn't exactly starving; he’s just bored and stubborn.

The hotel scenes have this weirdly claustrophobic energy. Everyone is constantly popping in and out of frames, and the acting is so big you could see it from the back row of a theater. Sture Lagerwall plays Gunnar with a kind of desperate, frantic energy that’s fun to watch for about twenty minutes, but then it starts to wear a bit thin. You start wondering if he’s ever going to actually do something besides stand around looking annoyed.

Odd little moments

• The way the hotel staff just kind of floats around, acting like they’ve seen it all before.
• The dialogue is so fast it feels like they were trying to save on film stock.
• Every time the father is mentioned, the movie gets this weird, tense atmosphere that feels completely out of place with the rest of the comedy.

There’s a part where Gunnar and Jan are just sitting there, and the silence is so heavy you can hear the gears of the film projector. It’s not profound, it’s just awkward. It reminded me a bit of the aimless hanging out in Havoc, though with significantly less at stake.

Honestly, the whole thing feels like a time capsule that someone forgot to open for eighty years. It doesn't have the grit of The Kiss Before the Mirror or the weird intensity of Whispering Shadows. It’s just people talking in rooms about things that don't matter very much. And yet, I couldn't stop watching. There’s something about the way they hold their hats and look at the doors that feels real in a way modern movies rarely bother with.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a plot. But if you’re in the mood for a Swedish hotel lobby drama from the 40s—and who isn't?—it’s a weirdly pleasant way to burn an hour. Don't go in expecting anything life-changing. Just go for the hats and the stubbornness. 🏨