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You’ve most likely heard the term “Stockholm syndrome”—a condition in which hostages form a psychological bond with their captors as a method of survival—but you may not have heard the story behind it. So the crime caper Stockholm takes a look deeper into Stockholm syndrome by exploring the hostage situation that inspired the term.
Stockholm is based on the bizarre true story of the 1973 bank heist in Stockholm, Sweden, that quickly escalated into a hostage situation. It all begins when Lars (Ethan Hawke) strolls into the bank, pulls out a gun, and starts shooting. While most bank customers are released, Lars holds tellers Bianca (Noomi Rapace) and Klara (Bea Santos) hostage as he waits for his demands to be met. First, he has the police bring convicted bank robber Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong), and then he plans for their safe escape. But, of course, nothing here goes as planned.
Though psychologists have studied Stockholm syndrome for decades, researching cases and debating findings, Stockholm isn’t a documentary, and it isn’t a serious drama, either. Instead, it’s a wacky real-life crime caper, telling a true story that’s often stranger than fiction.
At the center of it all is Hawke’s captivating and comical performance as Lars, an unstable and sometimes delightfully unhinged character who, nevertheless, has a heart of gold. He may take hostages and wave a gun in the air and threaten to kill the tellers, but it quickly becomes clear that he has no intention of hurting anyone. He simply wants to get his best friend out of prison—and this whole ill-advised heist is a poorly-conceived plan to get Gunnar and make a run for it. And, really, it’s not hard to see why his hostages would overlook his threats and take his side—because you’ll fall in love with him, too.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Lars is up against the ruthless chief of police (Christopher Heyerdahl), who seems more worried about his ego than the hostages. And as the situation gets caught up in a battle of wills, the tables turn, and the hostages’ fears turn to frustrations. And it all makes for a fascinating—and surprisingly funny—look at true crime.
If you’ve ever wondered about the story behind Stockholm syndrome, Stockholm tells it all in the mostly gleefully wacky of ways—complete with drama, suspense, and plenty of likable characters. It definitely isn’t a serious psychological study, but it is a whole lot of fun.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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