The Conference Review: The Conference or Konferensen is a Swedish horror movie that premiered on Netflix on October 13, 2023. Directed and written by Patrik Eklund along with Thomas Moldestad and Mats Strandberg, the plot follows a group of corporate employees going on a team-building conference at a remote getaway. However, things start to suspicious when a mysterious figure arrives. Tim King, Jonathan Ridings and Mats Strandberg are the executive producers of the movie.
Starring Katia Winter in the lead role alongside Adam Lundgren, Eva Melander, Maria Sid, Bahar Pars, Jimmy Lindström, Christoffer Nordenrot, Cecilia Nilsson, Lola Zackow and others. The film has a runtime of 110 minutes approximately. It is originally shot in Swedish and is available with English dub and subtitles.
-The Conference Review Contains No Spoilers-
Mindless killings by a masked murderer with a warped agenda, the movie could not get more cliched. The most shocking aspect of the plot is not the jumpscares but the lack of unity and effort among the employees to survive. No wonder they needed to get away so far for the sake of team-building, cause they very clearly lacked it. Even the forced and performative inclusion of “social cause” could not save the script from failing.
The story surrounds a corporation who are building a shopping mall by displacing the native dwellers of the area. Following the forced acquisition, one of the farmers took his own life. As the lead character, with a troubled past, digs deeper, she finds out that the company even failed to provide compensation to the displaced families. Moreover, the calculated company move also previously led to the public meltdown of a former employee.
As the plot progresses, the secrets start to come out one by one, as well as the murders. An unknown killer pops out of nowhere and starts to brutally murder anyone appearing before him. The audience is kept in the dark about the motive behind the murders and as the story develops the reasons are also revealed. It follows a typical formula that has been done multiple times before, making the story glaringly predictable.
Moreover, the story does not have much weight to it or substance to it. It contains themes of environmental awareness, exploitation of minorities and oppression of the impoverished. However, it does not dive deep into the issues and merely brushes through the topics to provide enough context for a basic understanding. Which is why the audience fails to connect with the story or remotely relate with the characters. It keeps the viewers at a distance without making them fully absorb themselves.
Even the barbaric murders of the people do not manage to move the audience in the slightest. It is definitely gross to look at but it lacks the thrill and build-up that is often expected from a horror movie. The movie ends as abruptly as it starts and with a lot of confusion. Additionally, as a viewer, it leaves one unsatisfied with the storytelling process as it does not create enough rush and stimulation that keeps us wondering what might happen next.
The Conference Review: Final Thoughts
The movie does fit the description for a “Friday the 13th” movie night, however, it lacks the intoxicating exhilaration for a thrilling experience. The most the film is going to do is gross you out with all the different body parts flying around but it will not satisfy you with an intense story build-up which is often expected from a horror flick. However, the movie can surely be enjoyed if you want to ironically laugh rather than get viscerally scared.
The Conference is now streaming on Netflix. Did you watch the movie yet? Let us know in the comments below!
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This is a joke right?!! A FUCKING JOOOKE….
Its feels and looks like a home for elderly people, just a bunch off boring non likable people,
Could’n netflix atleast throw in a young couple, teens that dress like teens and they are surviviors of this shit show,
The few murderus so far like 26 minutes in was not good, and its on day time full light, if you expext it to be like: chucky, jason, freddy crugger, FORGET IT, thus is like the cheap bad version,
I bet this move cost like 120 000 dollars in all maybe a alot less, sure looks like it,
My score for this cheap mess: 1.0 of 5, please use the fastforward butten so you dont lose any remaining braincells… waste of time and money…
So i watching this very fastforward, NO DO NOT TRY TO WAYCH THIS, OLD NAKED PEOPLE IN THE HOT TUBE, RIGHT WAS VERY NOT TO WATCH IT, BUT LATER I FEELED HORRIBLE BECAUSE THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT KILLING OLD ELDERLY PEOPLE, THE GUYS WHO CAME UP WITH LIKELY BEATING UP THEIR OWN GRANDMA AND GRANDFATHER,
THE SCENE WHERE THE MURDERE BASHING THAT OLD MAN WOOOHAAA A BIT OVER THE LINE,
YOU IN NETFLIX NEEDS THERAPY, SO DO I AFTER WATCHING THIS I DONT KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I WATCHED???
MY SCORE: 0.5 OF 5, DELETE THIS THIS FUCKING INSTANT YOU SICK FUCK (NETFLIX).
SO THE MURDERER IS ABLE TO USE TELEPORTATION?!
HOW CAN HE BE ONE MOMENT IN THE FOREST THEN IN SECONDS BACK TO THE VILLAGE,
AND PUTING UP ALL THOSE TRAPS EVERYWHERE, THAT WOOD WITH SPIKES SHOWS UP TWICE IN THE MOVIE,
Questions?!! HOW MUCH FORCE DO IT TAKES TO CUTT SOMEONES HEAD OFF??!,
THAT WAS THE MOST CHEAPES SHIT EVER, OVER TO FAST,
THINKING OF TESTING THAT OUT IS THAT HOW IT WORKS!?? OR IS THE PERSON WHO DID IT A SUPERHUMAN WITH SUOERSTRENGT,
BUT WELL DONE FIGHTING OLD GUY/WOMEN, ID PREFFER YOU BARBEGQUED HIS ASS WHILE TIED HIM TO SOMETHING, BURN THAT GUYS BALLS.