Dark Woods II

"They can demolish a building, but never remove the past."

2015 1h 33m NO

💀

4.8

SKIP

★4.8TMDB · 112

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An old sanatorium is deteriorating in an isolated forest in the mountains. Five contract workers have taken on the task of tracking the huge building for hazardous waste before it's demolished. They realize that the job is more than a search for asbestos and mercury when they encounter the building's frightening past. You can demolish a building, but never remove the past.

“They can demolish a building, but never remove the past.”

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Cast

Ellen Dorrit Petersen
Live
Anders Baasmo Christiansen
Ole
Tomas Norström
Frank
Baard Owe
Karl
Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
Even
Renate Reinsve
Synne
Éva Magyar
The Nurse
Torstein Løning

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pål Øie
Writers: Pål Øie, Kjersti Helen Rasmussen
Languages: Norwegian
Countries: Norway

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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 51% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 11 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dark Woods Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pål Øie, shot by Sjur Aarthun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ellen Dorrit Petersen and Anders Baasmo Christiansen and Tomas Norström carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pål Øie directs. Sjur Aarthun behind the camera. Trond Bjerknes scores. Sjur Aarthun cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Norway. Dialogue in Norwegian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 51% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 11 years ago.
4Part of the "Dark Woods Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Pål Øie, shot by Sjur Aarthun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Trond Bjerknes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Sjur Aarthun shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Ellen Dorrit Petersen and Anders Baasmo Christiansen and Tomas Norström carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "They can demolish a building, but never remove the past.".
10IMDB entry: tt2664880 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sjur Aarthun
Original score: Trond Bjerknes
Editing: Sjur Aarthun
Production design: Martin Gant
Sound: Hugo Ekornes
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,500,000
Box office: $758,497
Return: 51% of budget
Original language: NO
Certification (US): 16
IMDB: Dark Woods II (2015)

Part of

Dark Woods Collection

A Norwegian horror franchise. In the first movie, five Norwegians head for a cabin in the wilderness for a few days of team building. In the second film, five contract workers take on the task of finding any hazardous waste in a huge old sanatorium before it can be demolished.