Viking Huntress: Rune Of The Dead

Title: Viking Huntress: Rune Of The Dead (15)

Year: 2019

Running Time: 105 minutes

Director: Rasmus Tirzitis

Cast: Moa Stefansdotter (Runa), Yohanna Idha (Magnhild), Viva Ostervall Lyngbrant (Bothild)

Notes: Won twenty-eight awards,

Rating:  1

Thoughts:   When Runa's father disappears she becomes head of the family but is tormented by nightmares.

The opening scenes are very slow to play out and I guess they are trying to add some mood and perhaps develop empathy with the characters. It needs more than some moping and brooding to do either.

It just doesn't get going. It claims to be horror, suspense, and fantasy and it's a struggle to find any of those things. The lead has some dream-type moments (three in total) but they are not especially alarming. It's meant to be early ninth century but it's all too nice looking, too clean and polished. These are meant to be simple folk living in the woods. And as for a villager, the lead has a chat with, she's dressed like she's wandering in modern Stockholm. The father's pal appears and adds little. He should be there to develop the story but instead, it's just an introduction so we are ready for his return later. Then father comes back. Then leaves again. I don't know why.

A band of warriors attack, and it looks like the gold (someone stole some) isn't their target, it's revenge. Now I would set light to the wooden hut once they all hide inside but no! Cue the pal returning to stand side by side with the lead after a suspiciously young grandfather sacrifices himself.

Now comes the horror. Well... Turns out that the attackers are zombies. Ineffective zombies. And the father returns too and he's one as well! A fight starts, it's all a bit lame and suddenly the sun comes up and it's all over as the zombies collapse in a heap. Sadly the younger sister was killed, purely for what I guess they think is a twist.

Roll titles then a closing scene. The lead wakes up and her younger sister speaks to her - was it all a dream?

I really don't care. Pedestrian to a degree that it almost stops, it's impossible to judge the acting as they have nothing to do. It's not even active enough to be wooden.