Sex

2024 1h 58m NO

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 86

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two married, heterosexual chimney sweeps face experiences that unsettle their views on sexuality and identity. One has a same-sex encounter without considering it either as an expression of homosexuality or infidelity. The other finds himself in dreams where he is seen as a woman.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jan Gunnar Røise
Chimney Sweeper
Thorbjørn Harr
Head of Department
Siri Forberg
The Chimney Sweeper's Wife
Birgitte Larsen
Department Head's Wife
Theo Dahl
Department Head's Son
Nasrin Khusrawi
Singing Teacher
Anne Marie Ottersen
Doctor
Vetle Bergan
Architect

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dag Johan Haugerud
Writers: Dag Johan Haugerud
Languages: Norwegian
Countries: Norway, Sweden

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Norway, Sweden.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Oslo Stories Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud, shot by Cecilie Semec. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Peder Kjellsby. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jens Christian Fodstad shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr and Siri Forberg carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt26270862 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dag Johan Haugerud directs. Cecilie Semec behind the camera. Peder Kjellsby scores. Jens Christian Fodstad cuts. Produced in Norway, Sweden. Dialogue in Norwegian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 2 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: Norway, Sweden.
3Part of the "Oslo Stories Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud, shot by Cecilie Semec. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Peder Kjellsby. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jens Christian Fodstad shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr and Siri Forberg carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt26270862 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 86 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Cecilie Semec
Original score: Peder Kjellsby
Editing: Jens Christian Fodstad
Production design: Tuva Hølmebakk
Costume design: Ida Toft
Makeup / hair: Maren Anna Olstad
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $83,325
Original language: NO
IMDB: Sex (2024)

Part of

Oslo Stories Trilogy

A film trilogy consisting of three loosely connected stories that in different ways depict sexuality, longings and dreams in Oslo today.

Also by

Dag Johan Haugerud

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-09-15
★ 6/10
First of all, who knew that we still have chimney sweeps in 2024? Luckily, Dick van Dyke has retired and left the task to Jan Gunnar Røise and his boss Thorbjørn Harr. They are back in the staff room having a chat when the latter man explains a dream he had where he had an encounter in a bathroom with David Bowie - and he was a female. No, not quite of the cottaging variety but still ambiguous enough to empower the former man to announce that yesterday, he had had sex with one of their male clients. What makes this hook up the more interesting is that this hitherto straight gent initially declined the offer, but having left the man's house and reconsidered, he decided to return and assume the more passive role in their tryst. Both swear the other to secrecy and that ought to be that, except the next scene sees the sweep trying to explain his activities to his completely befuddled and feeling somewhat betrayed wife (Siri Forberg). Why on earth did he tell her? Did he tell her? Anyway, what now ensues sees the couple - still very much in love - try to sort out how they both feel and will feel about his dalliance and it's implications. Meantime, his boss is also having a bit of a crisis with his masculinity - but one of a more musical nature that puzzles himself, his wife (Birgitte Larsen) and teenage son (Theo Dahl). As these men discuss their situations with each other, amongst their families and with medical professionals we begin to expose what I suspect were the points that auteur Dag Johan Haugerud wanted to draw attention to. Snag is, he does it at such a glacial pace and with such an intensity of dialogue that the degree of concentration required to follow the story is quite hard to sustain and that also illustrates some of the holes in a plot that seemed a little too contrived to get the story on track rather than ring true. The relationship between Røise and Forberg is really only superficially presented and the whole film suffers from an astonishing lack of passion - either positive or negative. The fairly constant introspection is uncomfortable, sure, but is it believable? Would real couples react like this? I wasn't convinced. Dahl does ride to the rescue at times with moments of darkly crafted humour - especially when he is discussing some of the more painful aspects of the female reproductive cycle with a doctor whilst his dad is sitting next to him complaining of a bad back, and there is a refreshing and often contrasting candour from many of the individuals on occasion too - but they just don't really gel in anything like a cohesive enough fashion. This does take an interesting and quite innovative look at issues of sexuality, identity and family and is worth a look - but it was always going to be tough to knit the threads together engagingly and in my view, Haugerud doesn't quite manage it.

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