Stockholm (2018)

Based on the absurd but true 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in Stockholm that was documented in the New Yorker as the origins of the 'Stockholm Syndrome'.

Director:

Robert Budreau

Writers:

Robert Budreau, Daniel Lang (article)

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ethan Hawke	...	Lars Nystrom
Noomi Rapace	...	Bianca Lind
Mark Strong	...	Gunnar Sorensson
Christopher Heyerdahl	...	Chief Mattsson
Bea Santos	...	Klara Mardh
Mark Rendall	...	Elov Eriksson
Ian Matthews	...	Detective Halsten Vinter
John Ralston	...	Detective Jakobsson
Shanti Roney	...	Olof Palme
Christopher Wagelin	...	Vincent
Thorbjørn Harr	...	Christopher Lind (as Thorbjörn Harr)
Gustaf Hammarsten	...	Taxi Driver
Vladimir Jon Cubrt	...	Bank Manager
Nonnie Griffin	...	Old Lady in Bank
Anders Yates	...	Bank Employee

Storyline

A semi-fictional account, including most of the names of the players being changed, of the event that resulted in the creation of the term Stockholm Syndrome to describe people who feel empathy and sometimes more for their captor(s) is presented. In 1973, a lone armed man, thought to be American, storms the downtown Stockholm branch of Kreditbanken. Ultimately the authorities, led by Chief of Police Mattsson learn of his at-gunpoint demand: $1 million US, the release of convicted bank robber and murderer Gunnar Sorensson, and a Mustang Boss 302 like the one Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt (1968) as a getaway vehicle for the two of them. By the time Mattsson gets Sorensson to the bank - unknown to the gunman, who is thought to be well known robber Kaj Hansson, Sorenson having made a plea deal with Mattsson for his cooperation against the gunman - there are three hostages at the bank, all the others that were in the bank at the time let go. Arguably the most lucid of the three is bank ...

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Plot Keywords:

bank vault | pretending to be dead | based on true story | hostage | stockholm syndrome | 

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Taglines:

Based On An Absurd But True Story

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Crime | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the dialogue, the bank robber asks for a getaway car, a "Mustang Boss 302, just like Steve McQueen's car from the movie Bullitt." However, although McQueen's car from Bullitt (1968) is a Mustang fastback, as depicted in "Stockholm," McQueen's car was actually a 1968 390 V8 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, not a Boss 302 Mustang (which the bank robber asked for, and was made in 1969 and 1970, but not in 1968, in time for "Bullitt"), nor was it a 1973 Mustang Fastback, the car that is brought to the bank by the police as a getaway car for the robbers.

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Goofs

The bank robber played by [[Ethan Hawke]] asks for a 302 Mustang like the one driven by [[Steve McQueen]] in ''[[Bullitt]]'', and this would be the Boss 302, but this was not available until 1969, so although the robber could have known about it, it could not have been used in Bullitt, but then this could simply be an error on the part of the robber.

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Quotes

Lars Nystrom: Do I look like a rapist?

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Connections

References Bullitt (1968)

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Soundtracks

To Be Alone With You
Written by Bob Dylan
Performed by Bob Dylan

User Reviews

Funny and serious--just the way I like my heist films. And it's true.

"Their resistance to outside help and their loyalty toward their captors was puzzling, and psychologists began to study the phenomenon in this and other hostage situations." Rachel Lloyd

It doesn't pay to second guess Bianca Lind's (Noomi Rapace) falling for her abductor, Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke), in the real life 1973 heist/abduction that originated the descriptor, Stockholm Syndrome. Even as romantic as writer/director Robert Budreau makes the situation, no matter how crazy-charming he makes Lars, the situation, close to life or death, strains credulity.

Although the scene has been regularly described as "absurd" by officials and the media, Budreau and his first-rate actors create a reality that at the very least reminds me of Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon. Dog is another hostage situation at a bank with Sonny (Al Pacino) seeking funds for a sex change for his lover. Sounds absurd until you feel the human emotions involved; in Stockholm the sympathy flows between mother Bianca, with a weak husband, and the defiant but "soft" Lars.

Lars had been known to save a heart-attack victim at a heist and shows care for the hostages in the Stockholm bank. The two actors are so good, you can forgive his larceny and understand her attraction to him. It is by no means to exculpate Lars or to condemn the police for using gas-what else could they do?

No one would think that the cinematic setups of this heist are an accurate rendition of the Norrmalmstorg robbery, yet the heightened passions; Lars' motive to spring his bank robbery buddy, Gunnar (Mark Strong); and the imperfect strategies of Chief Mattsson (Christopher Heyerdahl) ring true in any situation. Stockholm is a stock situation riddled with humanity, and some light humor (see the bumbling husband), to make an eccentric spin on an old formula.

Enjoy the characters, and let your reality demands take a sideline.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English Swedish

Release Date:

12 April 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stockholm

Filming Locations:

Liuna Station, Hamilton, Ontario

Box Office

Gross USA:

$292,590

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$665,527

Company Credits

Production Co:

Darius Films, Lumanity Productions, JoBro Productions & Film Finance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1