Screening as part of Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival 2026, Home (Heim in its native Norwegian) tags itself as a dark romantic dramedy – and it delivers on all counts and more. Directed by Julie Skaufel, the film is a tongue-in-cheek, laugh-out-loud funny study on grief. Seemingly predictable at first, the storyline lulls us into a sense of comfort, until the surprising twist at the end.
We follow Anni (Hanne Skille Reitan), a 39-year-old children’s TV presenter, whose career gets derailed when she is required to face her deepest fear (pardon the pun) by jumping off a platform into deep waters – on live national television no less. Overindulging in liquid courage, she ends up punching a much-loved mascot, swearing like a sailor and tossing her cookies all over him.
Humiliated and unemployed, she moves back to her small hometown of Steinkjer, right back into her 16-year-old life in her childhood bedroom. Only this time, she might actually have a chance with her longtime crush, Erik (Lavrans Haga). She reconnects with her previous employer and father figure Odd-Björn (with a standout performance by Øyvind Brandtzæg), the quirky Elvis impersonator who owns the service station. With the guise of helping him out, she even resumes her 16-year-old job, although by the end of the movie, it becomes unclear who really helped whom. Best friend Kjell Rune (Herman Sabado) helps her confront her phobia and lets her be truly vulnerable for the first time – but his obvious feelings go unreturned in favour of handsome Erik. Cue the love triangle.
The film’s light-hearted take on heavy-hitting subjects is refreshing, and although it does not take itself too seriously, it does not feel dismissive either. It balances wacky humour and warm and fuzzy feelings alongside important themes of death and grief in a respectful, clever way. Home tells the story of staying true to yourself and respectful of your roots. Just beware of the final gut-punch.