Dennis (David Hellenius), a street racing legend with a history of operating outside the law, has resolved to leave his high-octane past behind. However, his newfound commitment to a responsible life is challenged when he discovers that his daughter, Hanna (Elsa Öhrn), intends to participate in a race with her boyfriend, Charlie (Malte Gårdinger). Determined to prevent Hanna from racing, Dennis and his ex-wife, Tove (Malin Åkerman), embark on a journey to bring her home. This sets the stage for a thrilling, final race across Sweden, characterized by speed, excitement, and powerful engines.
Ett Sista Race achieved considerable success in theaters, attracting over 200,000 viewers and reaffirming the audience’s desire for engaging cinematic experiences. The film is based on the Norwegian Børning film series. While the similarities to the first two films of the trilogy are notable, and arguably too overt in some instances, the Swedish adaptation incorporates several differences, with varying degrees of success.
Among the film’s strengths, Malin Åkerman’s portrayal of Tove distinguishes itself from its Norwegian counterpart. Her character maintains a connection with Dennis, leading them to embark on the adventure together. Another highlight is Ola Forssmed‘s performance as Steffe, the right-hand man to the antagonist TT (Jonas Karlsson’s). Forssmed’s comedic timing provides some of the film’s most entertaining moments.
Furthermore, the film features a remarkable truck stunt, and Per Fritzell (Galenskaparna and After Shave) makes a memorable cameo appearance.
Conversely, the film suffers from replicating scenes too closely from other films, particularly Børning, and other classic action films of the 1980s. A successful remake should draw inspiration from the source material while forging its own identity, rather than directly copying elements. While Ett Sista Race introduces significant changes and possesses redeeming qualities, the decision to replicate the ending of the first Børning film proves to be a misstep.
Due to potential spoilers, a detailed explanation of the ending will be omitted. However, the replicated ending is less effective in the Swedish adaptation because the narrative build-up and character motivations are less convincing than in the original Norwegian film. In the Swedish version, the characters involved, portrayed by Peter Dalle and Johan Ulvesson, are played with a level of nuance that clashes with the ending’s resolution. It remains to be seen whether there will be an Ett Sista Race 2, and if the filmmakers address this issue or if director Edward af Sillén maintains the same level of realism.
Despite its box office success, Ett Sista Race is only available on Blu-ray, lacking any supplementary content. For a film featuring numerous stunts and action sequences, reminiscent of Strul, the absence of behind-the-scenes material is disappointing, particularly given that such content exists. The picture quality is sharp, featuring deep blacks and presented in 1080p. The audio is delivered in 5.1 DTS Master Audio; however, the mix is heavily focused on the front channels, lacking immersive surround effects, which is surprising considering the film’s action-oriented nature.
In conclusion, Ett Sista Race remains an enjoyable film, despite its flawed ending and reliance on replicated scenes. However, the underwhelming Blu-ray edition detracts from its overall appeal, resulting in a middling final assessment.
SF Studios provided review copies for this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence; our reviews are conducted objectively, prioritizing the interests of our readers and consumers.
