Black's Game (2012)
"Svartur á leik" (original title)

After being reacquainted with a childhood friend Stebbi joins the drug trade world in order to pay off his debt. Inspired by actual events.

Director:

Óskar Thór Axelsson

Writers:

Óskar Thór Axelsson (script writer), Stefán Máni (novel)

Stars:

Thor Kristjansson, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Damon Younger

3 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thor Kristjansson	...	Stebbi psycho (as Þorvaldur Davið Kristjánsson)
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson	...	Tóti
Damon Younger	...	Bruno
María Birta	...	Dagný (as Maria Birta Bjarnadóttir)
Vignir Rafn Valþórsson	...	Robbi Rotta
Egill Einarsson	...	Sævar K
Björn Jörundur Friðbjörnsson	...	Óskar tattoo
Ísak Hinriksson	...	Nóri litli
Andri Már Birgisson	...	Rósi
Þór Jóhannesson	...	Eddi Krueger
Rúnar Freyr Gíslason	...	Árni Jónsson
Hilmar Jonsson	...	Konráð Geirsson (as Hilmar Jónsson)
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson	...	Jói Faraó
Steinn Ármann Magnússon	...	Einar skakki
Sveinn Geirsson	...	Viktor (as Sveinn Þ. Geirsson)

Storyline

In the mid to late 90's, the Reykjavik crime and drug scene saw a drastic change from a relatively small and innocent world into a much more aggressive and violent one.. The film tells the story of this change through the fictional gang of pushers that took control of Iceland's underworld.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | iceland | amphetamine | orgy | reference to slayer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, some graphic nudity, brutal violence including a sexual assault, disturbing behavior, pervasive drug content and language

Details

Country:

Iceland

Language:

Icelandic

Release Date:

12 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Black's Game

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmus Productions, Zik Zak Kvikmyndir

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Goodfellas (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Intro"
Written by Árni Plúseinn

User Reviews

Perfectly casted and acted crime thriller about a young criminal getting from bad to ugly

I saw this film as part of the Rotterdam Film Festival 2012. Main features are the high quality acting and script. The story has an unmistakable drive, keeping your attention for the whole duration. What we see unroll is a typical growth path for a young criminal. He starts with something relatively innocent, moves on to something less benign, and just has to continue from then on while becoming more and more unable to leave the "circle".

As a bonus we get a nice hint from the mentor-in-crime of our main character. When something unexpected happens, do the first thing that comes to mind, however strange it may be, and do it without any hesitation. He indeed acts on that rule a few times with success, especially in the final scene. How that last scene ends exactly, is deliberately left open by the film makers. I don't consider that to be a real problem, this being the only logical wrap-up for the story.

The final Q&A revealed that the footage was shot last May, but that the editing only finished the Monday before the festival screening. Having a fixed deadline in the form of this festival, was definitely needed to arrive at the finished product we saw.