A hypnotherapist sees Vera throw off the trappings of civilized behavior. For an event she attends with André, Vera’s behavior holds a mirror up to the faux-authenticity, virtue signaling and hypocrisy of her fellow entrepreneurs.
‘The Hypnosis’ is a Norwegian social satire about a couple of app developers who find themselves in a series of awkward situations at an event to help them be better prepared to pitch for investment in their app. The couple are Vera (Asta Kamma August) and André (Herbert Nordrum), and they have developed an app that helps woman to track their reproductive health, which they believe can change the world (as many entrepreneurs do). Shortly before the event, Vera decides to go to see a hypnotherapist to help her ditch smoking, however she gets more than she bargained for when the therapist gently encourages her to listen to her inner child more. This has the unintended consequence of unleashing said inner child and making her lose all her inhibitions, creating awkward interactions at the event and causing tension between her and her partner André.
‘The Hypnosis’ is essentially set up to skewer the superficial nature of middle class interactions and the facades or barriers we all put up in social interactions, and it does so in several ways that are purposely uncomfortable to watch. At an event where Vera and André are essentially competing against their fellow app developers and attendees, the faux-niceness and hypocrisy of everyone involved is deliciously dissected. At times this is a very funny movie with sharp observations and as a 30-something (not an app developer, nor an entrepreneur!) there is a relatable discomfort in how to approach and successfully navigate such awkward networking events.
My only issue with ‘The Hypnosis’ is that I didn’t quite buy its central device, and Vera’s reaction to the hypnotherapy is a little too full on to really work alongside the more grounded social commentary that surrounds it. Yet, viewed through the absurdist lens first time director Ernst De Geer is going for, there is much to enjoy with ‘The Hypnosis’ and it’s satirical look at modern society.
Rating: 3/5
Directed By: Ernst De Geer
Starring: Asta Kamma August, Herbert Nordrum, Andrea Edwards, David Fukamachi Regnfors and Moa Niklasson
'I have a purpose. If you think that it's some kind of blessing it's not. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through.' Marty Supreme (2025) 