Louise talks to customers at her café when she notices a man staring at her. He approaches her and calls her Helene. She corrects him, and he leaves. Later, Louise invites her family and friends for dinner to tell everyone the wonderful news. She accepted her boyfriend’s proposal. As everyone cheers, they hear a knock at the door. Louise sees the man from the diner and asks her fiancé, Joachim, to answer it. Joachim tells Peter that Helene doesn’t live there and shuts the door.
That evening, Louise walks to her attic and looks through her old purse. They found it on her body when they found her unconscious on the shipping container. She examines the purse’s contents and finds a cracked compact mirror and ID card. She gets a flash of her past. Then, she flips the purse over and sees HS on the back. Louise leaves a note for Joachim, takes a ferry to the mainland in the morning, and meets a doctor for a DNA test.
The DNA tests prove that Louise is Helene Söderberg. She is married to Edmund, and they have a son, Alexander. Helene assures Joachim she will return, but she must confront her past. Helene meets with Edmund at their home. His mother, Caroline, and Alexander await her. They walk Helene around the property and give her the master bedroom for the night. Edmund explains that Louise took over her father’s shipping company as CFO when he got sick. However, she became depressed and psychotic when he died after a fall down the steps in her care. He searched for her on the mainland but didn’t think to look on the neighboring islands. Edmund will take Helene to work tomorrow so she can get reacclimated to her life.
Helene drops her son off at school and goes to work. She meets her assistant, Ingrid, who shows Helene documents. Her memory flashes, and she doesn’t feel safe. Back on the island, Joachim searches library records about Helene and Louise. He can’t find anything on the real Louise, Helene’s disappearance, or her father’s death. Joachim believes something sinister is happening and will do anything to save his fiancée. Helene believes something evil lurks within the walls of her home too. Can they uncover the secret?
Based on The Secret Woman by Anna Ekberg, this suspense thriller keeps the audience in the dark until Helene uncovers clues. So the plot keeps the audience in the same state of disorientation as Helene. She is a strong and smart businesswoman. That element of her personality never changes, but she uncovers her bravery. The writer used Helene’s flashbacks to draw your attention. It gives you just enough to wonder what you are seeing and how it weaves into her past. One plot hole will drive viewers crazy. With one glance, you will wonder if Helene ever lost her memory. Or was this her plan from the beginning? That uncertainty will cause debate among the audience. The sound and camera editing elevate the suspense to a new level. The spine will tingle as Joachim walks through Edmund’s home while Helene is in distress. As footsteps get closer to Helene, you won’t know who will open the door. It is an unnerving and standout scene in the film. The actors connect with the audience through basic needs and concern. This connection and high-quality editing put this film a step ahead of a Lifetime film.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
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