Miss Flicks

The Last Journey: Film Review

The Swedish documentary The Last Journey was a huge success in its home country and submitted as its entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. But will it work so well over on our shores? Time to find out.

This documentary follows popular Swedish TV stars Filip Hammar and Frederik Wikingsson as they take Filip’s father Lars on a road trip from Sweden to the South of France. Since his retirement from teaching, Lars has lost his spark for life and seems content doing nothing except sitting in his armchair all day. To try and reignite that spark, Filip takes his ailing father to their family holiday destination one last time.

Hammar and Wikingsson are well-known TV stars in their native Sweden (think Ant and Dec) so that was obviously the main reason why so many Swedes went to see the movie. Without that sort of name recognition here, The Last Journey doesn’t quite hit the same, as we don’t know we’re seeing the vulnerable and deeply personal side to two popular entertainers.

However, the film is still effective emotionally, even if you don’t know who they are. It may not have the same level of emotional resonance, but it’s still beautiful and poignant. I was still moved and found tears in my eyes at the end. It’s not purely sad, though; there are plenty of laughs to be found here.

I think almost everyone will be able to relate to the journey Filip goes on during this trip. He is adamant that his father’s old self is still there, and he’ll be able to bring him back by doing nostalgic things and recreating their greatest moments. However, slowly but surely, Filip comes to accept that Lars is weak, frail and no longer capable of the things he used to do. There is no going back to who he used to be.

Whether you know who Hammar and Wikingsson are or not, The Last Journey tells a universal story about wanting to make the most of the time you have left with your parents, revisiting happy times, and wanting to feel like you’ve lived a good and full life.

In cinemas from Friday 20th June

Read our interview with Filip Hammar here