Flickorna på Uppåkra: A messy house, bad math, and a lot of sisters

Is this worth the time?

If you enjoy films where people just kind of sit around and worry about money, you might find something to like here. If you need a movie to actually go somewhere, though, stay away. This isn't exactly high-stakes drama.

It’s a story about a widow, Maja Brummell, and her five daughters. They live in Stockholm, or at least they try to. Maja has the business instincts of a houseplant. Watching her try to navigate finances is like watching someone try to do long division with a crayon.

The girls—Elsa, Brita, Ann-Marie, Svea, and Ingrid—are mostly there to fill up the frame. Sometimes they’re fighting, sometimes they’re just existing in the background. It feels less like a structured plot and more like hanging out in someone else’s living room for an hour too long.

Oddly specific observations

• The way Maja handles paperwork is honestly stressful to watch. It’s like she’s trying to lose money on purpose.
• The kitchen scenes have this weird, drafty energy. You can almost feel the chill coming off the screen.
• There’s a moment where a character walks across the room and it takes about ten seconds longer than it should. It’s not dramatic. It’s just… walking.

It reminded me a bit of the domestic chaos in It's a Boy, though without the same level of manic energy. This one prefers to simmer in its own mediocrity.

The pacing is all over the place. One minute you’re deep into a conversation about the family’s future, and the next, everyone is just staring at a teapot. I’m not sure if the director wanted it to feel like real life or if they just ran out of script.

I found myself staring at the wallpaper in one scene. It’s a very specific shade of beige. Why is it so beige? I don't know. Does it matter? Probably not.

It’s not a bad film, really. It’s just kind of there. It exists in the same way a half-finished puzzle exists on a coffee table. You’ll probably forget half of it by the time the credits roll. But for a rainy afternoon? Maybe.

I wouldn’t go recommending this to anyone who likes, say, The Wheel of Life. That movie has a pulse. This one is more like a slow heartbeat in a quiet room. ☕️