15 Incredible Films Based On Real-Life Tragedies
3. Utoya: July 22
Based On: The 2011 Norway Attacks.
Despite the many great horror films released in 2018, Utoya: July 22 was by far the most terrifying film of 2018. It was also the most underrated.
Shot in one continuous take, Utoya is a real-time re-enactment of the Utoya Island massacre that places its audience right in the center of July 22's tragic events, which is every bit as harrowing as it sounds. It's a murderously tense and exceptionally sad recreation of a horrific tragedy that serves as a haunting reminder of the lives lost and also of the growing threat of far-right terrorism.
The film was met with some controversy over whether a cinematic representation of such a recent tragedy was appropriate, but thankfully, it's a very tasteful dramatization. The focus is entirely on the victims, while the perpetrator is only seen twice as a shadowy background figure and isn't named in the ending titles.
With great cinematography, a devastating script and arguably Oscar-worthy acting from its amateur cast, especially a brilliant Andrea Berntzen in the lead role, Utoya: July 22 is a shattering masterpiece and one of the best films about a terrorist attack Ever.