Not unlike Midsommar (2019), the film explores the attractiveness of dangerous ideas. In her brightly coloured coming-of-age drama, Swedish director Tangvik Kveum reflects on the dark side of teenage introversion, which makes her main heroine vulnerable to being groomed by eco-fascists and culminates in thriller-worthy events. Recipient of the Grand Pix: Nordic Fiction award at the Oslo Pix Film Festival, this urgent work keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

Seventeen-year-old Chris feels isolated and increasingly powerless to impact a world that seems doomed to destruction. She accepts friend Maja’s invitation to join a summer camp for youth passionate about environmental protection. In the Swedish countryside, through shared activities and the promise of meaningful activism, Chris finds the purpose she has been so desperately missing. However, it gradually becomes clear that the group’s ideals hide a racist and eco-fascist core, which poses a threat to the people around them, including the young protagonist.

Tangvik Kveum’s debut feature explores how seamlessly the desire to belong can slip into radicalisation: an ideology comes at you less like a dry political slogan and more like a tight embrace or a long-desired friend. The portmanteau “nipster” describes radicals who ditch the stereotypical neo-Nazi look for trendy clothes, an eco-friendly lifestyle, and modern slang. Significantly, the film’s roots trace back to the director’s 2021 graduation film, RosaNazi, which also aimed to dissect the incremental steps leading toward radicalisation. Screened at BUFF Malmö, Giffoni, and other film festivals, the film features Saga Stenman shining amidst social networks and screens – in environments where high-voltage ideology takes on a more palatable, “user-friendly” shape.