If the world ended, what would really matter? That’s the question at the heart of the Swedish disaster film The Unthinkable. The Armageddon backdrop barely has any explanation, but it doesn’t need it. The film grounds itself in a small cast of characters and their relationships.  It’s all the better for it because its weakest points occur when the action supersedes interesting storylines.

Directed by Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures) and written by Danell and Christoffer Nordenrot, The Unthinkable opens with a haunting shot of an abandoned car, steady rain, and fires burning in the distance. It’s a hellscape. The narrative then shifts to 2005. In the flashback, we’re introduced to the protagonist Alex (Nordenrot), a loner who loves music. He plays piano and bonds with another outcast, Anna (Lisa Henni). Both come from imperfect homes, Alex especially. His father, Björn (Jesper Barkselius), a vet who abuses his wife, smashes a guitar gifted to Alex for Christmas and constantly berates him.

Flash forward to the present day. Alex is a successful pianist, playing sold-out concert halls. He’s determined to reconnect with Anna and rekindle their young romance. It’s harder than it seems, however, since an unknown force attacks the country. The Unthinkable isn’t concerned with filling in narrative details about why anyone would attack Sweden, but it doesn’t need them. Instead, it focuses on relationships, specifically between Alex and his father and Alex and Anna. For the most part, the action and various attacks take a backseat. Heck, half the time, Alex isn’t all that concerned about bombs exploding in the distance. He cares more about dating Anna than flames engulfing his country and societal breakdown.

It is interesting to see how the characters we’re shown in the 2005 flashback evolved. The premise of like father like son rings true regarding Alex and Björn. Further, our protagonist learns how difficult it is to cling to youthful romance. People move on with new responsibilities and obligations.

The film falters in the closing forty minutes as bullets fly and helicopters crash. The action becomes mind-numbing at points. It’s more interesting when the attack plays in the background and has strange repercussions, like drivers smashing their cars into each other for unknown reasons. Talk about chilling.

To add, there are too many storylines occurring, and the plot becomes muddled. For instance, Björn takes over a watchtower, but it’s unclear how he does this, and the subplot feels unnecessary. Additionally, Anna’s mom, Klara (Ulrika Bäckström) is a wasted character.

That said, The Unthinkable builds to a poetic and sad ending that makes sitting through some of the tiresome action scenes worthwhile. The visually stunning film works best when we see how the characters try to navigate through life and maintain any type of relationship as the world falls apart. What really matters in the end? What should we value while we’re alive, and how can we maintain those relationships that matter most? The film raises these questions. When the dramatic moments hit the right notes, they soar.

7.5 Out of 10 Pianos