Nattevagten (1994)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Ole Bornedal

Writer:

Ole Bornedal (writer)

Release Date:

25 February 1994 (Denmark)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

De søger en nattevagt, Martin er ikke mørkeræd, han har kun et problem... han får jobbet !

Plot:

In order to finance his law studies, Martin starts as a night watchman in a mortuary. When the victims...

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Cult Favorite | Female Frontal Nudity | Corpse | Dead Woman

Awards:

10 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Martin
Sofie Gråbøl	...	Kalinka
Kim Bodnia	...	Jens
Lotte Andersen	...	Lotte
Ulf Pilgaard	...	Inspector Wörmer
Rikke Louise Andersson	...	Joyce
Stig Hoffmeyer	...	Rolf
Gyrd Løfquist	...	The Old Nightwatch
Niels Anders Thorn	...	The Doctor
Leif Adolfsson	...	Theater Instructor
Henrik Fiig	...	Actor
Jesper Hyldegaard	...	Bar Guest
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Pub Thug #1
Christian Friis	...	Pub Thug #2 (as Chris Friis)
Peter Rygaard	...	Servant
Karin Rørbeck	...	Girl at University
Michael Goeskjær	...	Lecturer
Mika Heilmann	...	Dead Woman
Michel Castenholt	...	Gay Man
Jytte Rosholm	...	Female Doctor

Directed by
Ole Bornedal

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ole Bornedal		writer

Produced by
Michael Obel	....	producer

Original Music by
Joachim Holbek
Knud Odde		(as Sort Sol)
The Sandmen
Sort Sol

Cinematography by
Dan Laustsen

Film Editing by
Camilla Skousen

Production Design by
Søren Krag Sørensen

Art Direction by
Søren Krag Sørensen

Costume Design by
Margrethe Rasmussen

Makeup Department
Michael Sørensen	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Flinth	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Michael Dela	....	sound
Nino Jacobsen	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Rolf Konow	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Michael Frank Nielsen	....	color timer

Transportation Department
Geno Hart	....	transportation coordinator

Production Companies

• Thura Film

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (Russia) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Nightwatch

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | France:-12 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company:

Thura Film

Quotes:

Martin: You know what Hans Christian Andersen did? Every time he had masturbated he wrote a little X in his diary
Jens: If I had written down an X every time I had masturbated, there wouldn't be any pencils left in the whole wide world

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

One of the few Danish horror movies, and one of the only worth watching too.

With an impressive entry like 'Nightwatch', it seems sorta strange that horror more than 10 years later still is an unlikely genre in Denmark. And a bit more strange, how come that the few who has challenged the genre since haven't managed to top this film on any level? Yup, I will make the statement that, along with the 70's trash classick 'The Sinful Dwarf', 'Nightwatch' Danish produced horror movie worth watching! It is equally some kind of a landmark that kickstarted a new wave of creativities in Danish movie which certainly was required. The premise is of law-student Martin (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau) who get a night job as a watchman in a mortuary. Furthermore he is also playing a rather sick game with his amoral buddy Jens (Kim Bodnia) and during the working routines he befriends an older police inspector (Ulf Pilgaard). After struggling with getting used to the creepy atmosphere at the morgue Martin suddenly face a problem. A must-wanted killer with a lust for corpses obviously make pranks in the basement and use it too stash his prey as well. And even worse, he want Martin to take the trash for his crimes and does everything in his power to terrorize him from distance. A very neat and original murder mystery with undertones of Hitchcock and Argento, that unfolds very surprising and satisfying. And spiced with some well fitting unnerving moments that truly can wrap moral issues to the edge. The young cast features several upcoming stars and veteran Pilgaard in greatest moment of all time. Sort Sol makes the soundtrack. Ole Bornedal would later remake his own movie in a English language version, but the least said about that the better. Watch the real deal instead.