By David Dent
American husband Michael (Josh Burdett) takes his family for an extended summer break to a remote rental in the Swedish countryside, this being his Swedish wife Johanna (Amanda Renberg), teenage daughter from her first marriage Nora (Nika Tallroth) and Michael and Johanna’s baby son Stig (Stig Lundström).
Michael, who has a history of both drinking and being sexually inappropriate at work, is looking forward to a detoxing few months spent in nature without the distractions of the internet. Johanna too is hoping to get their life on track, but hasn’t reckoned on bratty Nora, for whom summer in the wild means no parties, no guys and, crucially, no Wi-Fi. But an accidental find under the floorboards unearths a dusty old dial up modem. Despite signs forbidding it being plugged in, Nora is unable to be screenless for another night and connects it. Johanna is supportive; as the only breadwinner she needs to work while the family is on extended vacation.
In the film’s prologue we’ve already witnessed the hiding of the modem by a previous cottage occupant, and know that no good can come of switching it on, an activity made more ominous by its connection to a sinister receiver, which acts as a kind of summoning to local spirits. As the family begins to fall apart, the tech begins to take over, manipulated by a sinister presence, culminating in the disappearance of Stig while a drunk Michael snoozes in front of the baby monitor.
Brown’s debut feature wouldn’t be half as good without the excellent performances of the family members, who completely convince as they try and hold things together. The supernatural elements are less convincing and, at times, plain clunky (do we really need another scary plague doctor character?) but Brown gives us a good sense of place and a real feeling of isolation as the weirdness takes hold.
Modem screened as part of Raindance Film Festival 2026.
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