Eiðurinn

If you fancy a chilling thriller from Iceland from director Baltasar Kormákur (Everest, 2 Guns, Contraband), The Oath is the right choice. The story tells of a successful cardiac surgeon whose daughter starts dating a drug dealer and is willing to do anything to break up their relationship, but it will cost him a lot of trouble that will turn his life upside down. The atmosphere of Iceland is properly chilling, the acting, especially from the lead, is excellent, the police are intrusive and quite clever, and the final denouement is certainly gripping. It is disappointing that there is no violence, but everything is made up for by a hefty dose of suspense. I had fun. 70%. (08.10.2017)

The Hippocratic Oath says not to play at being God. But how else can you overcome the devil? A thriller built on the paternal-moral dilemma of the protagonist (by the way, a good casting choice by the director), with a suitably realistic approach, the resonance of Icelandic landscapes with the gloomy cell of Madam Guđnadóttir, and a pleasantly open ending that blurs the thin line between momentary defeat and victory. It's hard to imagine him cycling on a road bike with his character as a bouncer from a Belfast bar and performing cardiovascular surgeries with fingers the thickness of an Eastern European sausage; however, something tells me that the renowned daughterguard Neeson is slowly preparing for an American remake. (03.01.2020)

A tedious bore from Iceland and a very weak Kormákur. It drags terribly, literally nothing happens for the first half of the film. In the second half the story picks up, but only modestly and I don't see a single reason to praise the film. The main character's behaviour is illogical and the ending fizzles out. Don't pick it up, it's boring as hell. (31.05.2021)