I've always appreciated well-crafted arthouse films; they're my favorite kind of movie. That’s why I get so frustrated when something tries to be one but doesn’t quite succeed—especially when it damages the reputation of the genre itself. And that’s exactly what happened with writer-director Sven Bresser’s first feature film, “Reedland.” The story centers on Johan (Gerrit Knobbe), a Dutch reed cutter who discovers a dead woman in his field. He seems to feel some kind of guilt about this discovery happening on his property and begins an investigation, despite warnings from the police telling him not to. That setup had potential, but unfortunately, the filmmaker doesn’t deliver. The story feels out of control, and he tries to distract from its flaws with beautiful cinematography. But no matter how lovely the visuals are, they can't compensate for a confusing narrative—the biggest problem with this film. For one thing, what should be the central plot point is largely forgotten once it’s introduced. Although there are occasional references to it throughout the movie, they're strangely mixed with long shots of reed fields swaying in the wind, extended scenes of Johan walking or driving, a loving grandfather interacting with his granddaughter (Loïs Reinders), and numerous close-ups of the main character silently expressing emotions that don’t really tell us what he’s thinking. Things get even more complicated because of some awkwardly handled dreamlike sequences and bizarre scenes involving a noisy washing machine, a graphic depiction of artificial insemination in horses, and Johan engaging in “self-gratification” while looking at a computer screen with what seems to be an AI-generated sex worker. But how do any of these things connect to the murder investigation? A little ambiguity can be good, but this feels like deliberate obscurity. These elements aren’t examples of inventive filmmaking or creative freedom; they're signs of pretentious attempts to appear more significant than they are. It’s hard to understand how this film was chosen as the Netherlands’ official entry in the International Film category at the Academy Awards. As the credits finish, a graphic dedication appears on screen where the director thanks his mother for helping him “to see the reeds” – whatever that means. The director is clearly trying to convey something meaningful and personal through this work, which is admirable. It's just unfortunate that he didn’t let the rest of us in on it. Instead, we're left wandering aimlessly through a field of reeds.

Source on TMDB