An interesting variation of the "Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary" urban legend and the 70s-80s films it spawned, "Svarta Madam (The Madam in Black)" avoids being blatantly derivative through its use of a different legend—the very Swedishness of which will prove compelling for audiences of other nationalities—and most of all, its use of subtle, keenly placed details. These details allow the audience to see, hear, and experience new things with each view. I've watched "Svarta Madam" twice and intend to watch it at least twice more. Fine use of atmospherics: As in most good horror films, what you don't see is far more crucial than what you do, and "Svarta Madam" shows you just enough. There are some great "jump" scenes too.
Fine acting by all, with special kudos going to Zalma and Oliver Lopez as young Emma and Alex. The close relationship between the siblings is adeptly shown and proves crucial to the story. While the resemblance between the two men gets a little confusing, the fact that Emma marries a man who looks and acts so much like her brother is significant.
The directing, screen writing, and cinematography are all expertly done: You can tell the makers of this film spent a good bit of time and trouble fine-tuning every little thing about it. The one criticism I might have is that "Svarta Madam" would have been enhanced by just a bit more dramatization of the 1633 back-story legend. Still, Jarno Lee Vinsencius is going places as a writer and director, and I am eager to see more from him.