Sauna (2008) Online

Following the end of the decades-long war between Russia and Sweden, a group of soldiers from both countries is assigned the task of defining a new border. Among this group are Eerik and Knut, two brothers who couldn't be more different. The former is a vicious soldier who has been fighting his entire life, while the latter is a civilized collegian who came along due to his expertise in crafting maps. On a scouting run separate from the rest of the group, the two encounter a farmer and his daughter. Bad things happen and the brothers rejoin the expedition the next morning, but what transpired at the remote farm leads to severe feelings of guilt for Knut. He even feels that he's being followed. Continuing their trek across the barren terrain, the men eventually come across a mysterious town where no such place should logically exist. What's more, something seems very off with the inhabitants and, more importantly, with the sauna that stands just outside of the village's reach.

I caught this back in early December on a cold, dreary night. As much as I despise cold weather, it actually made for a fitting atmosphere in which to watch this film. Not just because of the snowy locales or skies drained of color, but also due to the chilling predicament of the characters and the weight of the film's themes. Sauna is a picture that festered in my mind for a good while afterward. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I came out thinking that this was one of the most intriguing horror films I had seen in years. I bought the DVD shortly after my initial viewing, though I still have yet to revisit it. All these months later, it continues to pop back into my head from time to time. It has stayed with me in a way that only a truly haunting piece of work could. I intend to re-watch it when I feel that the timing is right, not before.

The film boasts a strong period setting and some effectively unsettling moments (all about that first time Knut catches a glimpse of a figure across the swamp) set against a mood of pure despair. The characters here are as cold and gloomy as the atmosphere which surrounds them. The acting is resoundingly strong across the board, most notably that of Ville Virtanen as the bloodthirsty Eerik. His character is that of a murderous sociopath who has never known anything but war, yet Virtanen instills the part with a certain sense of empathy and regret underneath the seething hatred. We are also privy to cinematography that, while dark and drained of life, has an exquisite beauty to it. You really feel the chilled air right along with the characters. I'm still not sure that I fully understand everything that goes on in the film, but hey, half of the fun is speculating. There are numerous layers here to keep your mind busy with interpretation. Oh, and the ending is quite something as well!

Alas, discussion around the web appears to be sparse when it comes to this title. If you like eerie, artistic horror, you owe it to yourself to give Sauna a shot. You may not care for it, as this kind of film will never be for everyone, but you will witness one of the more unique genre entries in many a year. All in all, it's a fascinating film that is rewarding in more ways than I can count.

I've been watching horror since childhood, and it has become a tiring, arduous task trying to find a flick that satisfies my elitist craving. I can't begin to tell you how happy (and genuinely frightened) I was to watch this.

Everything about this movie is original. Set in 16th century Europe, the story's foundations are firmly planted in realism. The horror comes from masterful application of suspense, fear and dread that is gradually introduced in each scene. By the time you reach the climax you're paralytic; gripped by fear – eager to watch to the end but terrified by what may happen next.

Having said that, this movie isn't for everyone. If you're after a bunch of over-sexed, blonde and artificially enhanced teenagers being hunted down by a knife yielding psycho – you're gonna hate this. If you're after fast-paced action, you'll be yawning throughout the film. If you're after a complex horror film marked by developed characterisation, a unique premise and set in an unfamiliar time in history, you will be pleased.

This is a rare, horror film that focuses on atmosphere and restrained script-writing, resulting in a mature, sophisticated experience for the discerning viewer. Grab a glass of red and enjoy!

Having premiered his debut feature "Jade Warrior" at Toronto in 2006, A.J. Annila returned with his second film "Sauna", yet another blend of two unexpected genres. He was originally approached to make the movie as a teen slasher-comedy, but thankfully the producers had enough faith in him to make a serious horror movie that would appeal to both the art house crowd and die hard horror fans.

Sauna follows a group of Swedish and Russian soldiers who are assigning new borders after a decades long war between the two countries has ended. In this group are two brothers; Erik, the lifelong soldier who keeps a running tally of the innocent people he's killed, and Knut, the younger more pacifist brother who is part of the group because he is an expert mapmaker. After an unexpected encounter with a farmer and his daughter, the two are haunted by unshakable guilt as they continue with the expedition. The soldiers find a small isolated village in the very center of a large swamp, an eerie place where no children have been born in years and the old do not die. It seems almost as if God has forgotten them.

With the discovery of the village and its solitary sauna, Annila builds on the horror aspects of the film and presents some genuinely scary images. The review on the TIFF website says the film recalls both Tarkovsky and Eli Roth, and I agree; Sauna is at once contemplative and terrifying. It raises questions about morality and guilt, and at the same time has scenes that are as scary as a Japanese ghost horror. The acting from Ville Virtanen and Tommi Eronen, who played the brothers, was superb. The cinematography was was also really beautiful. Overall, I feel like this is one of the best horrors of the last few years and it is highly recommended. 8/10

Euro-horror is doing good business lately. France, Great-Britain and Spain are all battling on the front lines, but smaller countries like Belgium are producing splendid genre works too. Enter Finland, a somewhat cinematic void for me, showing their muscles with Sauna. A horror film that fairs well with its European peers but also succeeds in giving Finnish cinema a face, although a grim one.

The film's premise is kept rather vague and for people not living close to Finland or familiar with its history the film might take a flying start. Two teams, one Finnish and one Russian, are sent out to draft a new border after a long-raging war. They cross the barren lands in order to fight a more civilized war in trying to decide who gets what. Even though the film is set a good 400 years back in history, it could've well been just 50 years ago. Not that the film looks too modern for its setting, it's just that the characters are never really surrounded by recognizable cultural references. Safe from a pair of glasses and the clothing, it's all swamp and unforgiving nature that is served to the audience.

The two teams don't get along very well, but the one really stirring things up is Erik, a long-life warrior who has trouble adjusting to the new-found peace. Even though he wears glasses to fake a distinguished look, he is a true barbarian, murdering and abusing everyone coming across his way. The only one he seems to care for is his little brother, who was sheltered from the war as college student. The first half of the film is spent drawing out the relationships between the different characters, giving the audience some time to adjust to the happenings in the film. From the moment they arrive in an unlisted village in the middle of a swamp, the the core plot and the titular Sauna make their entrance.

Sauna has a couple of things going for it. First of all there is the performance of Ville Virtanen, portraying the Erik character as someone that is simply terrifying. As simple as those glasses may be, they make him out as someone with a certain sense of civilization while in reality he is as bad as they come by. His performance is hard as nails and unsettling. The rest of the casts plays along nicely, although none of them really make a big impression.

Visually the film is very consistent. Grey, dark colors and rough landscapes make up most of the visual scenery. No bright colors are seen, even the blood in the film is dark red, almost black. The camera work is solid too and helps in setting the atmosphere nicely. But even though it gives the film plenty of flair, there's never that little extra to make the film rise above its rivals. The soundtrack too is extremely fitting, with some very nifty sound deformations and good, supporting music. It has an ambient-like quality only furthering the grim and dark atmosphere of the film.

As the film progresses the story is slowly revealed an even though the premise is intriguing, you'll be left guessing at least for a little on how it all fits together. The ending is somewhat vague and even though impressive, won't bring you any clear answers. Looking back at the film, it has a lot of parallels with Vinyan (even small details - just think of the shots of water becoming blood-soaked), though Sauna is a much more subdued film, without any real climaxes or cinematic bursts. Depending on what you like more, you might prefer this one over Vinyan which has more curves compared to the straight line that is this film.

Nonetheless, Sauna is an impressive experience, solid in just about every department. Extremely strong lead, nice and fitting visuals, great soundtrack and intriguing storyline. And if you won't miss the climaxes, this will be exactly your thing. A recommendation for all fans of European horror out there. Just don't be expecting guts and gore, Sauna plays at atmosphere, grit and travels through the darker parts of the human mind. 4.0*/5.0*

Two brothers, part of a border-recognition treaty detachment after a very long war, confront and deal with the wartime acts of brutality and violence of the older brother. The older brother has been part of this war for 25 years; the younger brother has been studying to become a professor and has been comparatively sheltered from the horrors. The younger brother comes face to face with his older brother's moral deterioration, and, disturbed by the older brother's acts of war, eventually persuades (and forces) the older brother to completely atone for those actions. The amount of spookiness achieved with no special effects other than blood, is truly remarkable, and a lesson for Hollywood. And in the end, the viewer is left with an uncertainty as to who must pay for sins, and why, and whether anyone, ever, is truly innocent.

when you watch Sauna you have no sensation of watching a movie, rather the screen becomes a window and you are observing reality. this is an engine running on all strong cylinders: the score matches the mood, it accents and reinforces the dialog and action. the acting is superb, by everyone. there is no sense of acting. the older Spore is a dynamo of revealing restraint. the cinematography is flawless, there's not a weak shot from start to 'finnish'. every shot is lit like a work of art. the editing is sharp and crisp. the pacing is deliberate and inexorable, though slow, you cannot drift because of the quality of the work. now, obviously, all this could not have been done without one Hell of a director! i've watched it three times so that i can internalize the subtitles and concentrate on the rest of the movie. i could watch this thing at 1/2 speed and still love it!

I had quite high expectations of this movie and was a bit disappointed. It's an unusual, intelligent and creepy ghost story, but it has an ambition to do something more distinctive that I didn't feel was followed through completely.

The performances and screenplay are fine. The film is nicely shot, with some lovely moments but also some lapses into generic horror-movie gestures. The sauna itself is a fine addition to the history of scary buildings in movies -- it looks as if it doesn't belong in the landscape at all, and the minute you see it you know something's wrong. The cheesy orchestral score lets the film down a bit, though.

Not all of the things that happen along the way are explained; some of them just seem to be put there for the sake of being scary. The ending is impressive but it left me wondering whether all the pieces leading up to it really fitted together.

I suppose two different films seem to be fighting over the same 90 minutes: an art-house movie that uses elements of fairy tale to explore existential questions about sin and redemption and a haunted-house movie that works by jump-scares, toothless villagers and gushing blood. The two never really came together for me, but I can't say I didn't enjoy the ride.

The movie is beautifully done, with dark wet imagery and good acting. However, you either have to be Finnish to understand or I was too tired to get the message. All I could get was that for the Finns the sauna is a cultural heirloom, dating way before their christianizing, a place where they believed to wash their sins. Finns and their sins. Sorry, couldn't help it :) However, left long enough to rot, those sins become unattonable and even if you face them, it is pointless. I guess this is one of those life lessons that the Christian religion is desperately trying to hide from us.

Anyway, as I said, great imagery and the feeling of desolation and burden of sin is almost palpable. I liked the characters as well, deep and sharp. However, it was a slow thing and never in the movie there was any "aha!" moment. One has to make an effort to watch the film and to understand it. Being Finnish probably helps, too.

Eerik Spore is a darkened war veteran with 73 lives on his consciousness, who has lost his empathetic abilities during the times of war. The only person he looks at with a certain form of consideration is his younger brother Knut, an academic and philanthropist who has ambitions about going to Stockholm to become a professor. The two brothers are posted at the cold border between Sweden, Finland and Russia in the years 1595. The war that started in 1570 between Russia and Sweden after Russia had made an attempt to conquer the swedes possessions in Estland, is over. Now the borders are to be set and a commission consisting of the brothers Spore and three Russian's sets the course north on a two day march through a widespread quagmire to meet another commission by the river Kiertämä. The tension between the men rises rapidly, and when Knut experiences clear visions of a woman he and his brother left behind in a locked cellar, his moral compass is awakened.

Finnish director Antti-Jussi Annila's second feature film, an ominous and atmospheric horror/thriller about two very different brothers' mystic experiences during the Nordic twenty-five-year-war, visualizes the fine line between reality and imagination through it's dominating use of visuals and sounds. Through passionless landscapes surrounded by mountains, trees and water, we follow five uncooperative men who are haunted by a horrible misdeed committed by the Swedish brothers. The men arrive at a nameless village that has a sauna which according to the folk myth can wash away people's sins. A sauna reminiscent of the one in Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" (1979), where one's innermost wishes could come true.

"Sauna" has a masterful narrative that moves very quiet for a long time. The invincible boost of intensity has a striking effect and escalates with unpredictable pace towards the film's thrilling climax. The enigmatic screenplay is a substantial example of the art of storytelling within Scandinavian film and obtains a short though leading dialog that underpins the film's obscure atmosphere. With his perceptive filming Aj Annila follows the characters at all times with the exception of some distant photos of the grand landscape and the esoteric sauna. Characteristic for Annila's direction is frequent use of close ups and hand-held camera movements. A metaphysical study of character, a terrifying folklore or a historic drama, "Sauna" is no stereotypic horror film. Without exaggerating the use of splatter scenes Aj Annila manages to create a cryptic, poetic, illusory and continuant atmosphere which is a character in itself and almost solely representative of the film's horror aspects. From the mythical depictions of milieu and the detailed costumes, a realistic sense of time and place is contrived. The acting is excellent and seen as a whole "Sauna" is an audio-visual and epic masterpiece with auras of mysticism, that tinder's of artistic expressions.

There are multiple layers of interest in this film. On one hand, it's an entertaining horror movie for those that just want a Friday night film, and on the other, deeper hand it provides those who want a message something to take away from the theater with. I was there for the world prim- ere in Toronto and the director was there to share with us what he intended to say in the movie. It's not especially profound, but wise none-the-less. He said that if you go too far along in life without facing those you hurt then eventually it's too late to make amends, that eventually if you try to face your victims, they'll be faceless. He did say parts of the film were left up for interpretation, but overall, it seemed like there was little left that remained open. So, enjoy a great atmospheric horror movie (and it is a great horror movie in itself) or look for more.

If someone told me "hey, watch this movie about a haunted sauna, its a really scary horror movie!".. I guess I'd stay as far away from the movie as possible. Luckily I saw some pictures of this Finnish movie and they looked really great.

Everyone looking for a horror movie should stay away from this. Its pretty laughable that so many people focus on the sauna and some ghosts in this movie as typical horror clichés while the director works so obviously on making every single piece and image in this movie a symbol for guilt.

"Sauna" or "Filth" (which is the far more fitting title referring to a statement by one of the Russian soldiers in this movie) is placed after the Russian/Swedish war around 1600 when a group of Russian and Swedish soldiers are setting for the new borders. The opening of the movie with the drawing of borders in blood and then the first shots of water turning red already indicate where this movie is going. Everything is carried by some great cinematography and the lead characters, 2 brothers of a very different kind. One is Knut, a mapmaker with high goals, the other is Erik, a soldier with a grim past who has his problems adjusting to the new peace.

Erik constantly looking for trouble soon gets the group of soldiers into problems when messing with a family. The town the group soon finds in the middle of a swamp becomes a clear symbol of Erics previous atrocities with as many inhabitants as victims on Erics list, a strange girl reminding them of recent wrongdoings (also involving a sauna) and animals and people who clawed out their eyes. The whole issue of not being able to face your past is present throughout the movie that is more like a fable. There is plenty of interesting historical information as well as philosophical dialog including the story about the king and filth or the thoughts if hell is just a place that god turned his back on. The place is soon presented and the irony is that yet everyone is fighting for the land soon there is a place that no one wants to take but rather wants to give to his enemy.

"Sauna" is full of these abstract images and the finale is far from a clear resolution. After all the director clearly tries to make the viewer have his own thoughts. Actually I am still working on figuring the closing images out but however this is a damn interesting and different movie with great cinematography, acting and an interesting setting. There sure are some horror elements in this movie, but I'd rather consider this a mix of art-house movie and drama and its definitely worth giving a chance.

Sauna (Finnish w/Eng. SUB) is a subtle but chilling horror film set in 1595, tells the tale of the 25 year war against Sweden and Russia…and the men who survived and the ghosts that haunt them as they head home. This movie is a rare treat! …it gave me nightmares…and that says volumes considering I watch hundreds of horror films a month and my collection is in the excess or 2200 horror films alone. I loved the movie 'Let the Right One in', as well as 'Cold Prey' and 'Dead Snow'…all excellent examples or Nordic horror (Vampires, Serial Killer and Zombies)…but Sauna actually made me think about the fear of the facing one's own demons (in the dark); the story being presented may be too subtle for some to get into, but believe me, well worth the time and effort. It was NOT an in your face with knives and blood type of scary movie; it brought about the horror through mysteries, shadows of the past and an unknowable horror. The best kind of fear is from things you do not understand and cannot explain…

Strikingly beautiful Finnish art house 'horror' film about guilt, religion, sin and punishment, set in the 16th century, at the end of the Russian/Swedish war.

It's full of atmosphere, symbolism, and unanswered questions. Two Swedish brothers/soldiers -- one intellectual, the other violent and borderline mad -- come to a strange town where they are confronted with eerie reminders of their sins, and of those they have killed in war.

Slow paced, but not boring. However, the underlying ideas do get stretched a bit thin over time, and the occasional turn to horror clichés was a little disappointing given the generally high level of intelligence and originality.

Still, interesting enough that I would give it another look now that I understand what its getting at, and gorgeous enough that I'll still enjoy it, even if I'm once again left with mixed feelings about some of the content.

Mention also must be made of the arresting performance by Ville Virtanen as the violent Eerik, recalling Max Von Sydow in his prime.

...missing the target after all.

Great in terms of stylish clear cinematography, look and details of costumes, effects, make-up, sets, the acting, lights, character-building and the main idea/plot.

Not so great is several. On the one hand, horror arises only for thin-skinned people in my opinion, but this is OK. Though it may have been achieved by giving the certain scenes time to unfold and also more depth in that(=>longer film). On the other hand, despite the foreboding symbols and events and the over all somehow conclusive story are some "mysteries" not quite fitting into the puzzle, especially not the ending. May it be because of a need for a controversial, "thoughtful" end or because of lack of better ideas or lack of movie-time. Anyhow, it doesn't fit for me.

In the end it is another missed chance, despite very good ideas, resources(sets, costumes, filming,...) and acting caused by either bad producing (pressure, constraining) or simply bad writing/directing in terms of bringing all together for the masterpiece. And if it has to be longer for that - be it! Don't be shy!

It's 1595 after a 25 year war between Sweden-Finland and Russia. Two commissions are sent to mark the new border. The southern commission would not make it to the meeting place. Battle hardened Knut leads the Sweden-Finnish delegation. His brother Eerik is hoping to make a map of the uncharted territories and present it to the King. They brutalize a father and daughter in an isolated home at the swamps with their Russian icon. Eerik leaves the girl locked in the cellar storage. Then he finds that they're being followed by her spirit. They find a village in the middle of the swamp.

I like the moodiness of the wilderness. However, I have a tough time connecting with these characters. I would have liked Eerik not lock the girl in the cellar. Knut should have been the one. Eerik's innocence should be maintained more. He could still feel guilty without actually being guilty. It would also make the brothers' relationship more complicated. The tension in the village could have been heightened.

This strange, visually arresting morality-slash-horror play is well worth the time. Set in the dense forests and wilderness of 16th century Finland, the plot features two brothers-- one an embittered veteran of the recent wars between Sweden and Russia, the other a naive geographer hoping to make for himself during the map making expedition. They and the rest of the surveying team, including rival Russian troops, soon discover a mysterious village hidden deep within an immense swampland. While the villagers have all fled the wars, instead the brothers and the rest of the surveying group are forced by a merciless spirit to confront their wartime deeds as well as a bloody incident during the expedition. It's uncertain if the spirit is a demon or is a manifestation of their own inner ghosts, but either way (in the great last line of Session 9) it feeds on "the weak and the wounded." Whether the brothers are cleansed or are devoured by the possessive force leads to a dark, unsettling finale.

For fans of slower, more thoughtful horror, and especially horror stories set within unique historical circumstances (e.g. Black Death or R-Point), Sauna is a must-see. The costumes, scenery and cinematography alone make for a memorable experience, never mind the universally strong acting and relentlessly chilling atmosphere.

impressive images. inspired script.Ville Virtanen in a role who remembers many others of Max von Sydow. many influences from Tarkovsky universe. a horror who search to be more than a ghost story. maybe reflection about sin and life sense, about worlds as ambiguous circles, about links between people. a form of poetry, dark, foggy, cruel, slow, full of need to be more than another film about fear. a beautiful film. for noble intentions. for special atmosphere. for the its soul - mixture between profound questions. but, in few scenes, it seems be a thin ice. a puzzle who dispose by perfect pieces made in the time of game. but , in essence, an inspired exploration of history laws.

If you are looking for "pure horror", or 100% historical accuracy, this isn't the movie for you; simply walk away now. If you're a fan of foreign films, and don't mind a bit of confusion and tom-foolery when it comes to the plot, this may be the movie for you.

Sauna's beautifully filmed and acted; even though the subtitles on my copy were rather choppy (I believe mine was a "fan translation", as it was filled with typos, grammatical errors, etc.), I got the emotional feel of the movie the entire time, just via the beautiful acting. It has some gorgeous sets and costumes as well - although this isn't historically accurate at times.

As a horror movie, it fails. It isn't going to scare you while you watch it; it may be unsettling or unnerving at times, but you won't scream or wet yourself. I prefer this, personally. The end scene hit me, mostly because that sort of thing (I won't reveal much, as to not ruin it) terrifies me. In fact, it was after a nightmare related to that damned scene that I woke up and decided to write this!

If it was trying to be more than unsettling though, it failed.

The plot is confusing, and can be draggy. I think if someone sat down and gave this movie proper subtitles (it seems no one has yet), it would be less confusing, but not much so. Some of the "mysteries" never panned out, and there are a few plot holes that aren't exactly small. If this movie had had another 15 minutes of screen time (it's a very short movie, imo), it would of been much more creepy (and less tiring, trying to puzzle out those plot holes).

I would watch it again - for the acting, beautiful filming, and the occasionally unnerving scene. I wouldn't watch it for horror, or consider it the best movie ever made.

Finnish horror film about the aftermath of the Swedish/Russian war. During a mapping expedition to set the border the parties run into a god forsaken town with a sauna in the middle of a swamp.

Will anyone get out alive?

Moody atmospheric film will either scare the snot out of you or bore you to death. I'm somewhere in the middle, liking the feel,but not sure its scary enough. Regardless of what you think you can't argue it looks great and feels creepy.

Worth a look

6.5 out of 10

"Sauna" is about two Finnish soldier brothers assigned to map the new border with Russia in 1595.They come across a mysterious cement sauna in the middle of a swamp.When people enter it,they are forced to confront the sins of their past."Sauna" is an eerie and lyrical horror film with slow-moving pace and plenty of subtle creepiness.The director of it Antti-Jussi Annila said in an interview:"Old Finnish people,before Christianity,believed that the sauna was the place to wash your sins away so you can go on living without the bad things you have done",so basically the main themes of "Sauna" are redemption and damnation.The film includes a haunting image of a ghostly girl with face drowned in filth,who was left to die locked away in a cellar by one of the brothers."Sauna" is a perfect example of existentialist horror with drained-out look.7 out of 10.

The Finnish aren't known for their horror movies, and now I know why. The period piece, Sauna, which revolves around two brothers in 1575 who are assigned to set the new borders between recently warring Sweden and Russia is certainly a visual treat... but short on story.

Sauna takes on us a journey of what exactly it means to 'redeem' ones self, and if true redemption can even be achieved. One poster tagged it as the unsettling area between paganism and Christianity. While I hoped there would be a true exploration of what I perceived to be a supernatural tale about sin vs redemption, what I got was a real quick period piece about a Japanese style ghost.

The visually stunning film does a wonderful job of conveying a very unsettling landscape... one that does seem devoid of any type of "god", and the main character of Eerik is wonderfully portrayed by Ville Virtanen. But overall the film seemed too short, lacked closure, and the obvious ending that stresses 'open to interpretation' comes off more like 'closed to thought.' Even though it runs at 84 minutes, and with subtitles... the overall effect is impressive to a degree. But the overall absence of expository dialog in the last 20 minutes leaves one almost baffled.

I expect good things from the director... Antti-Jussi Annila. And while Sauna is a step in the right direction of good movie-making, it trips over it's subject matter at the "finnish" line.

Literally, this film sucked.

It made no sense what so ever.........

THe acting was OK, the pacing was OK, but the ending was just terrible.

I got the whole idea of this 'cleansing sauna' in the middle of nowhere but the movie went off to space as far as I'm concerned, it lost me.

It had potential to be great, but failed.

so, it was boring....

.......tedious .......

.........pretentious ......

and definitely over rated.

It is a stylish gloomy film. But it is very boring film. Action occurs very slowly. Events are not present. Besides, the film contains too many anachronisms and historical errors.The uniform of soldiers, their ranks, a manner to speak and many other things does not correspond to time in which there is a film action.The sense of events also is not clear. Nevertheless, once it is possible to look. From the pleasant moments it is necessary to note good work of actors. Gloom of a film is well allocated thanks to excellent work of the camera man. This film can very much it will be pleasant to fans of gloomy mystical thrillers. My rating 4/10

Its about a group of border demarcation team stumbling into some kind of witch black hole kinda village .When they arrive the village is been repopulated only relatively recently by a group of finish refugees .Who tried to get away from raiding marauding Russian cossacks only to get into bigger trouble .Apparently upon arriving to this place they lost their fertility and lots of people chewed out their tongues and scratched their eyes out .There is something roaming the place of such horrendous entity that they prefer to mutilate themselves than face

it .Or the self mutilation is the result of encounter ? Well u never know . There is this creepy whitewashed cube like sauna in the middle of a swamp from which radiates all that creepedom .Your enter in it u are done u are history . Subtlest ermm...they're really annoying!and Finnish language is really creepy to listen to it . I swear they sounded like those things from District 9 movie! Alien.Couldn't they make them speak English? Well its my first Finnish movie and I think it will be last I ever will see. But to be fair I don't think I can be considered a fair judge of this kinda of movies . Thats not my idea of horror I like gore and blood flying all over . People who like ghost ,supernatural horror movies might like I dunno

For me the movie was good. I would like to end here because I think I missed something in the story. It's a lot of blah blah and slowly it goes to the mystery of the sauna but sadly I wasn't glued to the screen. I have seen so many reviews in papers and on the Net saying that it is good but for me it was mediocre. It has great cinematography, and uses silence and the shots to tell the story over dialog. But still, it was supposed to be a chilling scary movie that draws you in and makes you feel the fear that is on screen. But not for me. Am I to deep into horror that supernatural movies like this doesn't work for me, I just can tell. It stands on his own, almost no blood and still people were scared while watching it. Must be me I think. I better go thinking what I have just seen, in a sauna.