Fröken blir piga: A quaint look at a kitchen teacher gone rogue

Is this for you?

Honestly, you probably already know if you’re going to dig Fröken blir piga. It’s for the folks who get a kick out of mid-century rural dramas where the stakes are basically just who is doing the dishes and who is hiding their true identity from the farm owner. If you hate slow-burn character pieces or get bored when there isn't a car chase every ten minutes, skip it. You'll just be frustrated.

It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s just trying to be a sweet, slightly messy story about a woman who leaves her teaching job to work on a farm. That’s it. That’s the whole hook.

The vibe check

There’s something weirdly comforting about watching Siri Olson navigate the farm chores. You can tell she’s playing at being a maid, and the movie knows it too. Some of the kitchen scenes drag on forever, like they forgot to yell 'cut' at the right time, but that’s half the charm. It feels lived-in, even if it's staged.

The transition between her 'school' self and her 'farm' self isn't exactly subtle. It’s more like a light switch, but you stop noticing after the first act. I found myself focusing on the background details—the way the light hits the floorboards in the kitchen, or how cluttered the barn looks. It feels more like 1930s life than a lot of the polished stuff you see in Comrades or even the moodier vibes of Fredløs.

• The dialogue is snappy, if a bit dated.
• The pacing is... well, it takes its time. Let's leave it at that.
• Hjördis Petterson is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

There’s a moment about halfway through where she almost drops a tray of eggs, and the reaction shot from the other actors lasts about three seconds too long. It’s hilarious, though I don’t think it was meant to be. It’s that kind of movie—you find your own fun in the little cracks of the production.

It lacks the cynicism of something like Bluebeard's 8th Wife. It’s earnest. Maybe a little too earnest for some, but I didn't mind. It’s like a warm glass of milk before bed. Just don’t expect it to change your life or anything. It’s just a movie about a lady in a kitchen. Sometimes, that’s plenty. 🥚

I caught myself wondering if the actors were actually tired during those long exterior shots. They look genuinely exhausted in some scenes. It adds this layer of grit that the script probably didn't intend. It’s definitely not as sharp as The Silent Partner, but it has a pulse. And that’s more than I can say for a lot of these old archives I dig through.