Bad Family (Paha perhe)

Year: 2010
Country: FINLAND
Run Time: 95 minutes

Mikael, a cold-eyed Finn who likes to have things just so, is a respected judge with strong ideas about child-rearing. But something's rotten in the state of Finland. Mikael's first wife left long ago for Denmark with their daughter Tilda, leaving Mikael behind with their son Dani. Mikael's second wife, their young son, and Mikael's mute father round out the happy household in BAD FAMILY. When the ex-wife dies, Tilda shows up on their doorstep. She and Dani are teenagers close in age, and though they barely know each other, they find an emotional kinship. This is more than Mikael can bear; he's convinced the siblings are having sex. His clear mind devises increasingly devious methods of spying on them. He sets up cameras. He loudly reads the penal code regarding incest outside their locked door. He sends Grandpa to a home, and his wife to a hotel, until he can regain control of this matter. With his paranoia at a fever pitch, Mikael hires a garden gnome of a man to bundle Dani off. It's really time for Mikael to learn to let go. (In Finnish with subtitles) –B.B.

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