Sauna (film)


Sauna, also known as Filth or Evil Rising, is a 2008 Finnish horror film directed by Antti-Jussi Annila.

Premise

At the end of the Russo-Swedish War, brothers Knut and Eerik are tasked with marking the border between Finland under Swedish rule and the Tsardom of Russia. Upon arriving at a mysterious village in the middle of swamp, the brothers find a sauna in which they hope to be washed of their sins.

Cast

Home media

The film was released on DVD by Mpi Home Video on October 27, 2009.

Reception

French film review website CinemaFantastique.net awarded it 3/4, praising the film's atmosphere, cinematography, and for effectively capturing the 16th century period. However, they criticized the film's non-linear story, and dialogue which made it difficult to fully understand the film. James Gillett from Digital Retribution gave the film a score of 4/5, writing, "Sauna is an impressive film; thematically rich and stunningly realised. It's the kind of horror movie seldom seen. Those who occasionally enjoy something a little more cerebral than your average horror effort will find themselves with a deeply rewarding and engaging film. Wash your sins. Step inside..." David Nusair from Reel Film Reviews, however, panned the film, awarding it no stars out of four, calling it "An abominable, utterly worthless piece of work".