Sausages and Stately Homes: A look at En bröllopsnatt på Stjärnehov

Is this thing worth a look?

If you have a soft spot for black-and-white comedies where everyone speaks in theatrical exclamations, you will probably get a kick out of this. It is light, it is silly, and it is definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel. If you hate old-fashioned stagey acting or sausage-based social commentary, you should probably skip it.

The whole premise is just so wonderfully stiff. You’ve got the Stiernhielm family trying to act like they aren't completely broke while staring at a sausage king like he’s a piece of furniture they’re forced to endure. It reminds me a bit of the awkward social maneuvering in The Undesirable, though with way fewer tears and a lot more herring.

The Wedding Night That Wasn't

The pacing is honestly all over the place. One minute we’re at the estate, the next we’re dealing with wedding jitters that feel like they’re happening in a different timezone. There is this one shot of Adolf Jahr looking confused at a dinner table that lingers for about three seconds too long. It is genuinely funny, mostly because you can tell the actor is trying really hard not to laugh himself.

And let’s talk about that sausage money. It’s the driving force of the movie, but the film treats the Magnusson family’s wealth as if it’s radioactive. Everyone treats the poor girl like she’s carrying a bag of actual links instead of just having a rich dad. 🌭

• The wallpaper at Stjärnehov is the real star of the show.
• Olof Sandborg basically steals every scene just by looking annoyed.
• There is a door-slamming moment that goes nowhere.

Sometimes the movie feels like it’s struggling to stay on track. It has that same frantic energy you see in Why Sailors Leave Home, where the plot feels like it might just snap if it tries to be serious for even a second. It works best when it just lets the characters be ridiculous.

I found myself wondering if they actually filmed in a real estate or if it was just a very well-dressed set. The acoustics sound a bit hollow in the hallway scenes. It gives the whole thing a weirdly intimate feeling, like you’re eavesdropping on a family dinner gone wrong.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s just a perfectly fine way to spend an hour if you want to see people in fancy clothes pretending they aren't about to lose everything over a sausage inheritance. 🇸🇪