A macabre and often dryly amusing variation on the suburban-critique film imported from the Netherlands. The title character, Camiel Borgman, is a bearded and implacable vagabond. Driven from one area by gun-toting men, a priest among them, he inserts himself into the sphere of a well-to-do family, first receiving secret meals from the hospitable mother and later returning as a clean-shaven gardener. Along with a few mysterious partners, he slowly disassembles and undermines the family's peace of mind and domestic unity. Why? To what end? Are they demons? Anarchists? The motive is never explained in its entirety, but the journey is riveting in its delightful (evil) twists and turns and buoyed by strong lead performances. The Michael Haneke-esque aesthetic is always detached and the pacing measured, whether the scene involves neither-here-nor-there acts of domesticity or brutal violence, rendering the experience unpredictable and, in a positive way, uncomfortable and nauseating. There are a handful of frightening and indelible images, including bodies disposed of in the sea with their heads encased in concrete, and a few moments of genuine subversive hilarity. In one, the scheming Borgman ensures he is hired as the wealthy white family's new gardener by paying various men of Arab and African descent to precede him as interview candidates. The handsome front door is rapidly closed in their faces.

B+

Borgman

A gripping and reserved mystery-thriller about a tramp welcomed into the home of a wealthy family as the gardener only for something sinister to unfold. Not everything is explained in the film, but it's no less enthralling to watch. Why are these guys cutting open people's backs? Are they inserting something inside? Why is it only the young? What was the importance of the greyhounds? It's not clear yet, but the mystery will have an answer. Much like Enemy, this film poses a challenge for the investigative film fan in you.

The performances are solid and expertly restrained. Jan Bijvoet as the leader, has an evil yet charismatic presence. Hadewych Minis also gives a strong performance as the delusional and distressed mother. And Sara Hjort Ditlevsen is utterly gorgeous as the nanny. The score is slight yet effective, the imagery frightening yet graceful, and the overriding conclusion chilling and disturbing. Borgman is a suspenseful European horror-thriller that excels in its patience and thrives on its mystery.

A-