We all know Gustaf Skarsgård as the eccentric Floki from the hit series Vikings. The Swedish actor now stars in the new Netflix film The Storm (Stormen). We know Skarsgård can act. After all, talent runs in the family. But even a great actor can’t save every sinking ship. And in this outrageous dark comedy, just about everything gets thrown overboard.
Filip (Gustaf Skarsgård) and Caroline (Aliette Opheim) run a bed and breakfast on a remote country estate in Sweden. Unfortunately, money is going out a lot faster than it’s coming in. When Filip turns 45, Caroline sees an opportunity. They invite a group of wealthy college friends over, hoping someone might be generous enough to open their wallet.
Naturally, things don’t go quite according to plan. A violent storm traps everyone inside, and a generous helping of strange mushrooms takes care of the rest. Old grudges resurface, secrets come spilling out, and before anyone knows it, their cozy reunion has turned into one spectacular disaster.
Just When You Think It Can’t Get Any Crazier
Director Josephine Bornebusch throws absolutely everything into the blender. Dark comedy, thriller, and drama take turns at breakneck speed. The result is a completely bonkers film that’s entertaining at times, but just as often seems to have no idea where it’s going.
The characters are quite a collection of oddballs, too. Each one somehow manages to be more absurd than the last. Not a single person seems remotely normal. You have to give the filmmakers credit for refusing to hit the brakes. Unfortunately, louder and crazier doesn’t automatically mean funnier.
The humor is definitely an acquired taste. While some viewers will probably be rolling on the floor laughing, I spent a good chunk of the film raising my eyebrows in disbelief. Some situations are simply too ridiculous to swallow, even by the film’s already questionable standards of reality.
The Storm. (L to R) Gustav Skarsgård as Filip & Aliette Ophiem as Caroline in The Storm. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
Skarsgård to the Rescue?
Thankfully, there’s still Gustaf Skarsgård. The Vikings star delivers a convincing performance as a man slowly losing his grip on the situation. Aliette Opheim is equally impressive, and the growing tension between their characters provides some of the film’s strongest moments.
Beneath all the madness, there’s actually an interesting story about friendship, keeping up appearances, and years of bottled-up resentment. The trouble is that these themes keep getting buried beneath yet another avalanche of bizarre events.
The Storm. (L to R) Aliette Ophiem as Caroline, Johan Rheborg as Nicholas, Jonas Karlsson as Jakob & Sara Shirpey as Ninni in The Storm. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
Verdict
The Storm is one of those Netflix films that leaves you staring at the screen afterward, wondering what on earth you just watched. This particular brand of Swedish humor will undoubtedly find its fans, but whether international audiences will embrace it quite so enthusiastically is another question.
The cast is solid, the filmmakers certainly aren’t afraid to take risks, and boredom is rarely an issue. But the messy mix of genres and increasingly forced absurdity make it difficult to genuinely care about what’s happening. In the end, The Storm makes plenty of noise, but never quite manages to blow you away.
