Amir (Freddy Singh) has Body Integrity Dysphoria, and that's the main character we're stuck alongside for the duration of Above The Knee. In this case, Amir is obsessed with the idea that his left leg shouldn't be there, from the knee down anyway. He actually tries to sit with it tucked under his body a lot, and gets some pleasure and satisfaction from the times when it feels slightly paralysed. It really needs to go though, but how will others view him if they know that he plans to "solve the problem" himself?
Based on an idea created by Singh and director Viljar Bøe, Above The Knee is a dark and intriguing exploration of a very unusual psyche. I don't think I would have been able to stick with it if it had only given us Amir as an important character, but the fact that we also see how things affect his partner (Kim, played by Julie Abrahamsen), and how one other individual (Rikke, played by Louise Waage Anda) seems to flirt with the central concept without wanting to commit to it, really helps the whole thing to take viewers down some other dark alleyways without losing sight of the main road stretching through the runtime.
Singh plays his part with very little energy, but it's a performance that feels deliberate, and very much in line with his character. He's miserable, he's just killing time until something can happen to completely alter his life, and he won't feel like a complete person until, ironically, his body is as incomplete as he believes it should be. Abrahamsen has the least rewarding role, but the wild nature of the problems at the heart of their relationship help to keep viewing her as sympathetic and sorely ill-treated. In fact, the final scenes are more impactful than expected due to her involvement. Then we have Aanda, giving a great performance as the most fascinating character in the film. She is, to pick a movie analogy, very similar to the character of Marla in Fight Club AKA a tourist who makes another tourist uncomfortable by being so obvious in her attitude. The very best scene in the film has Amir and Rikke testing one another in regards to their ultimate goals.
Bøe may not do much to bring attention to his direction, but the structure of the screenplay and a number of inserted images work to keep viewers interested and curious about how everything will play out. We know what Amir wants. We know how society would view his behaviour. Will he be able to execute his plan, and, if he does, what will he face in the immediate aftermath?
Not a traditional horror movie, and probably not for those looking to fill their viewing schedule this month with easygoing October thrills and chills, but this is an excellent little film that starts from a very dark place and somehow keeps finding ways to get darker and darker all the way up to the incredible last moments.
8/10
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