In the near future, dystopia looks European for a change. A strict one-child rule has been introduced because the world population has exploded and resources are dwindling. Captured siblings are taken away and frozen by the authorities. The director, Nicolette Cayman (Glenn Close), is not the president, but does seem like Theresa May during her second post-Brexit term of office, and has her own death squads. Septuplets are born into this world. The father is unknown and the mother dies at birth, but their grandfather (Willem Defoe) takes the girls in and hides them in his apartment and names each of them after a weekday. When they grow up they all look like Noomi Repace, but they have developed in individual ways and all have to don the mask of career woman Karen Settman when it‘s their turn to go out in public. Monday doesn‘t return on the day of an important presentation. Did something happen to her or did the authorities catch her? The other six use their talents to find that out.

WHAT HAPPENED…? would be a good episode of Black Mirror. The themes of individual and family pressure, surveillance, and overpopulation, and even a bit of feminism are all broached. From Tuesday night onwards director Tommy Wirkola (DEAD SNOW) is more interested in chases and gunfights and a hint of cyberpunk. The result is an entertaining action film and Rapace‘s sevenfold sisterhood is very convincing, but the plot turns out to be quite simple when compared with the interesting initial idea.

Christian Klose (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy