Above the Knee (2024) Review

On the face of things, Amir (Freddy Singh) has a pretty good life, living in a nice house with his partner Kim (Julie Abrahamsen) and giving free rein to his artistic side as he paints impressive pictures in a quiet basement room. However, that quiet basement room is a room which Julie think is permanently locked and one of those portraits is that of a wheelchair-bound Amir, minus his left leg which has a particularly visible amputation scar.

Amir is plagued with visions of his left leg slowly rotting away and the solution is to lose the offending limb. Watching the news, he sees a report which investigates a condition called Body Integrity Disorder and features a woman called Rikke who has that very condition and discusses the fixation of being disabled in some way (in Rikke’s case, she wishes that she were blind and behaves as if she were). In secret, Amir contacts Rikke and the two try to formulate a plan which will injure Amir in such a way that he will have to lose his left leg…

We’re back in the world of Norwegian writer/director Viljar Bøe, whose previous FrightFest entry Good Boy was one of the most warped relationship dramas you’ll ever see – and has my name on the credits as one of the Executive Producers, the very thought of which always makes me smile. I’m not on the production side of this one in any capacity, so I can approach this one without bias and my view is that although it’s not quite as disturbing as Good Boy, Above The Knee delves once again into the dark side of human nature and makes a virtue of its slow burning plot and careful character development.

Once Amir decides to go ahead with the deed, the film counts down to what is referred to as “The Accident” which instantly alerts the audience to something dreadful happening, but not just yet. This decision might lessen the tension in terms of the protagonist suddenly deciding to lop his leg off, because the countdown means we know he can’t just immediately go ahead and do it, but the suspense is generated via alternative methods, such as Amir’s clandestine meetings with Rikke, fraught with the risk of how long he can get away with taking time off work and pretending to Julie that his absence from home is because he’s working overtime.

Amir’s recent past has been blighted by a drinking session which ended in near disaster and now those around him are helping him on the road to recovery, oblivious of his gruesome visions and new mission in life. His friend and now boss Jonas (Viggo Solomon) is not your usual manager, handling Amir in a supportive and sensitive way. Julie also allows Amir to vent his displeasure and ensures a stable home life, so his slow descent into obsession – and the leeway given to him by those around who love him – is always believable.

As Amir’s confidante in the world of Body Identity Disorder, Louise Waage Anda leaves a lasting impression as Rikke, mostly seen behind a huge pair of dark glasses, radiating intrigue as someone who appears to have found a kindred spirit in Amir but may also be leading both of them down a path of ultimate self-destruction. The scenes between them as they discuss how “The Accident” could happen are both matter of fact and chilling, without painting either of them as lacking in empathy for each other’s plight but suggesting that their individual compulsions will make it difficult for them to walk away from each other regardless of the outcome, for which Amir may not have bargained.

The final act does see Amir’s chicanery eventually cause his world to start falling apart around him but melodrama is kept to an absolute minimum, replaced by a couple of the chilliest, most impactful line deliveries you’ll have heard in a while (even if you can’t understand Norwegian). Although there’s a grim inevitability to where this is all heading, the final scene is thoughtful, sparse of dialogue and superbly downplayed, providing a definite resolution while allowing the space to leave so many questions as to what will happen next.

Despite the frequent flashes of bloody saw blades, Above The Knee favours suggestion over gore and is all the better for it but if you think you’re totally off the hook, guess again. The sound design by Bøe himself may have you retching and in terms of visual impact, less is most certainly more. You’ll be wondering if what’s just offscreen is any worse than you imagine it to be and dreading the moment the camera might shift to show you it. Does it? That would be telling.

Once again, Viljar Bøe has assembled a small, resolute team of talent who assume several roles within the production (for instance, Abrahamsen is also credited with Special Effects and Make-Up) and the result is another focused, exquisitely crafted tale about the dark side of the human condition set against the contrasting, welcoming, relaxed backdrop of its country of origin. I’d still love to visit Norway but what the hell is going on there behind closed doors?

Movie Rating:

Above the Knee trailer