Paradise is Burning movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Paradise Is Burning

This dramatic, coming-of-age, Swedish film releases in theaters on August 23, 2024.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about 3 sisters who live on their own after their mother abandoned them months ago. They try to keep it a secret while doing everything they can to survive.

The film was directed and written by Mika Gustafson, with writing help from Alexander Ohrstrand.

Already, the film has been nominated for and won several awards at various film festivals.

THINGS I LIKED:

The three young sisters were played extremely well by Biana Delbravo, Safira Mossberg, and Dilvin Asaad.
The rest of the cast also gave excellent, nuanced performances and included Ida Engvoll, Marta Oldenburg, and Mitja Siren.
We get to spend time in Sweden where the movie takes place. This is a very different kind of Sweden than what most Americans imagine. When I went to Sweden a few years ago, I went to all of the touristy places, which looked super charming and beautiful, typical of how I still picture the country.
We get to enjoy the carefree nature of childhood, especially in the summer time.
We also get to watch each of the girls experience an awakening and coming-of-age journey.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

A lot of viewers will be very bored, waiting for “something” to happen. You’ll enjoy this film more if you’re prepared for a more artsy look at growing up without adult supervision.
We never see the mother and don’t fully understand why she disappeared, illustrating another way people respond to responsibility and “adulting”.
I was worried about the girls the entire time and got exhausted watching them implode. It’s a very depressing film and I kept looking at the clock to make the misery end.
The orphaned girls become almost feral with no mother to help them or show them how to behave properly.
There’s a lot of fighting, both physically and verbally.
The only teenage girls who are friends of the 3 sisters appear to be practically wild animals. Where were all of their parents in this? It would have been interesting to contrast the 3 sisters with “regular” girls to see their interactions. Parents, do you know where your kids are right now? Do you know their friends well? If not, you should. Your kids’ friends have a HUGE influence on them.
The film makes a big, bold statement about parenting and, especially, the importance of a mother when raising daughters.
The entire film is an exploration of character and coming-of-age of the three sisters.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

A girl puts her hair on an ironing board and irons it (Do not try this at home!)
The entire movie has subtitles that have to be read.
The English translation shows profanity and crude language
The three girls steal various items and break into houses.
For a split second, we see a topless girl at a public swimming pool
The oldest daughter has a ton of tattoos on her arms
A teenage girl shows her pregnant body
Teenagers smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and drink a lot of alcohol to celebrate when someone starts her period or loses a tooth
A young girl starts her period.
A girl has a tongue piercing
Profanity in Swedish, including F-bombs. Older teens teach younger girls how to swear and flip the bird.
We see an emerging lesbian kiss an older woman.