disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

[Tribeca 2023] THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE -- An Intriguing but Confusing Stranger Than Fiction Doc

6/11/2023

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Audiences have grown to be obsessed with documentaries about unbelievable but somehow true stories. Maria Fredriksson’s Tribeca documentary The Gullspång Miracle tells a bonkers story that, while entertaining, might be a bit too confusing for its own good.

The film tells the story of two sisters who have a chance encounter with someone who looks eerily identical to their sister who committed suicide decades earlier. If you think you know this story is heading, we are here to tell you — you have absolutely no idea how this story is about to play out.

Like many great stranger-than-fiction docs, The Gullspång Miracle has an abundance of twists and turns. In fact, these twists and turns are so numerous that it often becomes difficult to follow the story and figure out what is happening. It’s the type of movie that would almost be served by having a study guide to keep track of all the people and movements involved.

That said, even if the movie is frequently confusing, it’s consistently intriguing and often entertaining. Of course, more impatient viewers may find themselves frustrated by the fact that it’s so difficult to figure out what is happening. But those who are willing to embrace the film’s “WTF” nature will be along for a wild ride.
Picture
The movie does boast some impressive technical aspects, but there are some inconsistencies in its presentation that can be a bit off-putting. For example, the first scene has a metafictional element that is largely abandoned for the rest of the runtime. It’s small moments like this that show the potential it had to be something bigger, but Fredriksson decides to keep things mostly restrained.

One thing that doesn’t quite work in the film is that it’s hard to see exactly what it wants to say. The movie doesn’t really justify why we should want to hear this other than the fact that it’s bizarre. There largely isn’t any deeper context or revelation about the societal circumstances that allowed — or perhaps forced — these events to occur. 

The film also makes the slightly odd decision to present its subjects in a morally ambiguous light. In the first act, it seems as if we’re rooting for this reunion, but a twist happens somewhere in the second act that will have audiences wondering if these people are as genuine as they say they are — leaving them scratching their heads as a result.

The story of The Gullspång Miracle is certainly wild, and while some viewers may be put off by the fact that it is virtually impossible to follow, it’s mostly intriguing within its genre. You’re less likely to enjoy the movie if you try to make sense of what is happening than if you just let things unfold.

The Gullspång Miracle screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online.

Rating: 3.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About