A great summing of the true story of journalists Martin Schibbye Johan Persson entering Ethiopia to cover a story of oil-interests when they're arrested for illegal entering and terrorism. The movie is well acted and thrilling to watch, it's a captivating story of free speech, justice and the search for truth with a nice sense of humor despite the seriousness of the film.
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bandre897 June 2021
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Thanos_Alfie26 March 2023"438 Days" is a Drama - Thriller movie in which we watch two Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson getting caught in Ethiopia after they illegally crossing their boarders. Their research of the affect of oil in the population of Ethiopia makes things more difficult for them.
I enjoyed this movie because it had an interesting plot and it was based on a real story. The direction which was made by Jesper Ganslandt was very good and he succeeded on presenting both the plot and his main characters very well something that helped the audience a lot. The interpretations of both Gustaf Skarsgård who played as Martin Schibbye and Matias Varela who played as Johan Persson were very good and their combination worked very well. To sum up, I have to say that "438 Days" is a nice movie and I highly recommend everyone to watch it especially those who love movies that are based on real events. -
Martin Schibbye himself have condemned this movie for being inaccurate when it comes to the military uniforms and weapons being too modern and clean and the prison being too dirty and hostile. But that doesn't bother me at all.
Did the military in reality have older weapons and the fellow prisoners was even more polite than how they are portrayed in the movie? Good for them! Because I got a very friendly feeling from the prison, it didn't even feel that intimidating that I have imagine that Kaliti would be. I actually didn't get the feeling that Martin and Johan was intimidated at all.
It more felt like a movie about a legal battle, and that being the swedes main concern. Johan och Martin seems more frustrated about not being able to speak their mind, then the fact that they was living in a prison for over a year. They just say it with ease: "We wouldn't survive here 11 years". But there's really no desperation in that. You don't get the feeling of how terrible it must be(?) to sit in that kind of prison for that long time. I got the feeling that they was mainly annoyed over not getting set free, then desperate to get out of there. It seemed like Martin even considered to appeal against the penalty, just because he wanted to make his freedom of speech-point. Is that really what was on top of his mind? Then the prison life didn't seem to have been as bad as I thought it was.
Sure, maybe that was a way to keep themselves sane. Occupying their minds with what they were there for in the first place. But it made me feel like I was watching two kids that ran away from their mother to their abusive father, because 'We have the right to be with dad if we want'. And now the parents was battling over custody. The father, Ethiopia, being the destructive parent and really not wanting them there, but still feeling obligated to keep them in one way. And the mother, Sweden, that wants them home and safe, even if she have hard to understand why they would have to go to the abusive father in the first place.
When you read Martins critique about the movie, it's not about how it focuses on a legal battle or the lack of feeling for how it is to sit in a prison for 438 days. His problem with the movie is that the journalists being imprisoned in Ethiopia are not only being silenced in real life, but also in the movie. I feel the journalism and freedom of speech-thread is the main role of the movie. The legal battle over their right to express themselves. When I was expecting a movie about 438 days in a prison. -
rana-ergun11 March 2022I'm a bit disappointed in this movie, I expcted something well edited, like Escape from Pretoria, but this movie was all over the place. I don't believe the script writers did a good job at all. It was quite figuratively and literally a bumpy journey to say the least.
Skarsgård was amazing as always in his acting, he really gave it all.