When it comes to famous filmmakers hailing from Sweden, none are quite as well-known on an international level as Ingmar Bergman. His filmmaking career lasted for approximately six decades, and he made some of the most acclaimed films of the 20th century, including titles like The Seventh Seal, Scenes from a Marriage, and Fanny and Alexander.
However, for as great as Bergman's filmography is, it's important to note that he's far from the only director to make great Swedish movies. There are plenty of beloved Swedish-language movies according to the users of Letterboxd, with the following being some of the highest-rated on the film-related social media site that were directed by people other than Ingmar Bergman.
10 'A Man Called Ove' (2015)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
Based on the novel of the same name, A Man Called Ove is a drama/comedy that ultimately leans heavier on the dramatic side of things. The titular Ove is an old man who's led an incredibly tragic life, with the story following him as he deals with his wife's recent passing while being generally annoyed by the actions of many of his neighbors.
It recently got an American remake starring Tom Hanks named A Man Called Otto, though the original Swedish-language adaptation from 2015 remains higher-rated on Letterboxd. It's heavy-going stuff, but ends up being an engaging watch that's a little light on narrative, but heavy with emotion.
9 'Häxan' (1922)
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Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
Even more than 100 years on from its release, Häxan remains one of the strangest and most fascinating documentaries of all time. To call it just a documentary would be misleading, admittedly, as it includes plenty of dramatizations and horror-themed segments while exploring a history of witchcraft from the Middle Ages onwards.
Given the film's age, a good deal of its informational content should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but it remains an intriguing and entertaining film regardless of its historical accuracy. For anyone interested in the history of documentary filmmaking, or otherwise considers themselves a fan of silent cinema, this iconic Swedish film is well worth a watch.
8 'Girl with Hyacinths' (1950)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
The dark mystery/drama Girl with Hyacinths has only been watched by approximately 2000 viewers on Letterboxd, but they've collectively given it an average rating of 4.0/5. It follows a couple who try to piece together what led to a young girl's death, as she was one of their neighbors and quite inexplicably left all her possessions to them in her will.
The structure is heavy with flashbacks, which ensures the film unfolds similarly to 1941's Citizen Kane, which is also about trying to piece together someone's life after their death. Girl with Hyacinths is therefore a heavy but compelling Swedish film from deep in the country's past, and worth a watch for fans of methodically paced film noir-type movies.
7 'Songs from the Second Floor' (2000)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
Roy Andersson is a Swedish filmmaker with an undeniably singular style, with Songs from the Second Floor being his highest-rated on Letterboxd. His work is often offbeat and more than a little strange, filled with the kind of absurd humor you'd expect from someone who named one of his films A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (released in 2014).
Songs from the Second Floor doesn't exactly have a narrative, and instead spends time with various characters throughout its runtime, with most of them being lonely, longing, and vulnerable in some way. It aims to capture a certain set of emotions through its various scenes - some funny, some sad, some a bit of both - with it also being a film that's distinct for its numerous long takes and remarkably static camerawork throughout.
6 'Let the Right One In' (2008)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
Even though it got a 2010 remake that was kind of redundant and uninspired, Let the Right One In remains a classic modern horror movie. It blends a coming-of-age narrative with vampire tropes in a way that feels fresh and emotionally impactful, and features two incredibly strong child actor performances at its center.
It's a movie that's very entertaining, and also genuinely unsettling when it wants to be, even though the horror is perhaps less frequent than one might expect. Movies about vampires don't get much better than Let the Right One In, making it more than justified to sit among the highest-rated Swedish films of all time on Letterboxd.
5 'The Phantom Carriage' (1921)
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Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
Anyone who believes that silent movies can't be eerie or scary at all might want to check out The Phantom Carriage. Sure, it's not going to make modern viewers jump out of their seats in fright or anything, but its atmosphere is undeniably spooky, and its older than old school special effects still look surprisingly good, all things considered.
It's set on New Year's Eve, and details a legend that claims the last sinful person to pass away during a year becomes indebted to Death, and will be required to drive a carriage that picks up the souls of the dead for the entirety of the following year. It's an engaging premise executed well, and remains an entertaining fantasy/horror movie despite its age.
4 'Lilya 4-ever' (2002)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.1/5
A devastating and tragic drama about a young Russian girl who attempts to make a getaway to Sweden to start her life over, Lilya 4-ever is a remarkably bleak film. Most of its scenes are starkly realistic and feature the titular Lilya facing hardship after hardship, with various people around her taking advantage of her because she's young and naive.
It was directed by a Swedish filmmaker, Lukas Moodysson, with scenes taking place in both Russia and Sweden, though most of the dialogue ends up being in Russian. It's far from an easy watch of course, but it's a powerful and very well-made film, and unflinchingly sheds light on difficult topics in a thoughtful and effective manner.
3 'The Emigrants' (1971)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
Filmed as one movie but released in two parts, The Emigrants is the first volume in an epic duology (about 6.5 hours long in total) that depicts a Swedish family emigrating from Sweden to the United States in the middle of the 19th century.
Few punches are pulled throughout The Emigrants, with the first half of this story mostly focused on depicting the terrible conditions in Sweden that influence the main characters to move, followed by a detailed depiction of the hardships they experience while traveling. The extended sequence taking place on a cramped, disease-ridden ship that has to cross the ocean is particularly harrowing, making The Emigrants one movie that's not for the faint of heart.
2 'The New Land' (1972)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
The New Land follows on from The Emigrants, and details life for the main characters after they reach the United States and attempt to settle there. With its locations and focus on life in America during the second half of the 1800s, it becomes something of an epic Western movie, although shown from a Swedish family's point of view.
In some ways, it's just as tough to watch as its predecessor. Frontier life during the Old West came with many challenges for those alive back then, which The New Land shows in plain - and sometimes graphic - detail. Those who found the first half of this story compelling will undoubtedly want to watch The New Land, but more casual viewers might want to steer clear of something so long and distressing (even if both films have a 4.2/5 rating on Letterboxd).
1 'The Sacrifice' (1986)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
Though Andrei Tarkovsky was a Russian director, The Sacrifice ultimately counts as a Swedish film. It was a co-production by Sweden, France, and the UK, with Swedish being the main language used throughout the film.
Tarkovsky's filmography is filled with movies that are slow-paced and sometimes quite challenging, and The Sacrifice might be up there with the most challenging of them all. It tells the story of a man celebrating his birthday while fearing an impending nuclear war, with the film tackling heavy religious themes throughout. It's also notable for being Tarkovsky's final film, as he tragically passed away from cancer the same year it was released.