The Trip Parent Guide

Lars (Aksel Hennie) and Lisa (Noomi Rapace) have a struggling marriage, as well as problems in their professional lives. In an effort to get away and reconnect, they decide to spend a few days in their remote cabin. Unbeknownst to their spouse, both Lisa and Lars have a plan to kill the other. But when their plans start to go awry, the pair realize they have an even bigger danger to face.

Horror and comedy are two genres that have potential to mix well, and there are many times when they have. The Trip tries to be a dark comedy while also attempting to be an ultra-violent home invasion story, and unfortunately, I don’t think the tone quite lands. The first half or so of the runtime is expertly done. The writing is clever and well thought out, and the comedy, though dark, lands. The characters are well established and multi-layered, and the plot has enough twists to keep the audience guessing. If the film had continued in this vein, this would have been an outstanding production. Disappointingly, the story falls apart just past the halfway mark and devolves into a barely strung together series of violent vignettes. The characters and humor are forgotten in favor of excessive blood and gore.

I think it should be obvious by now, but this is not a film for people with weak stomachs, or who are sensitive to swearing. I believe this production beats my past personal record for most F-bombs in one sitting, coming in at approximately 90. I won’t belabor the point about the level of violence, but it is graphic and gory. For those reasons, on top of the jarring tone and uneven writing, I don’t recommend The Trip for general audiences, or even for horror aficionados.