Satire has a unique way to strip down everyday life and make us laugh about how ridiculous human beings can be. That’s exactly the case with Ernst De Geer’s The Hypnosis (Hypnosen), a comedy about the performative nature of relationships and the need to own our desires. It’s an honest and hilarious look at the human condition, even if it makes a few missteps along the way.

Human beings are complex creatures born from the clash of primitive impulses and social rules that ensure our collective survival. As a result, we are constantly fighting with our instincts while putting up a show for whoever might be watching. Yes, performances are part of anyone’s life, but if we don’t set clear boundaries about when to bend and when to hold the line, we might lose touch with what makes us unique. That’s precisely what happens with Vera (Asta Kamma August). Thanks to her abusive mother, Vera learned she should always make decisions based on what other people expect of her. That’s a toxic pattern Vera is reproducing with her boyfriend, André (Herbert Nordrum). To make matters worse, Vera and André are launching an app together, meaning there’s no sphere of Vera’s life where she can listen to herself and stop performing.

Since Vera is trying to stop smoking, she decides to schedule an appointment with a hypnotherapist. Vera just wants to get rid of her addiction, but the therapist quickly realizes that what’s causing her patient so much pain is the fact she is always trying to please others. So, during the session, the hypnotherapist proposes to help Vera to unleash her true desires, a procedure that goes all too well. That’s because, after her appointment, Vera becomes hyperconfident, doing whatever she wants without thinking about the consequences.

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Written by De Geer and Mads Stegger, the script of The Hypnosis uses Vera’s newfound freedom to imagine all sorts of hilarious situations. And while her behavior might shock the people around her, it’s just delightful to watch August playing the role of a woman released from societal pressure. Vera is comfortable with her body, doesn’t keep her opinions to herself, and speaks out every time something — or someone — bothers her. It’s a powerful change that allows Vera to put herself above others for the first time in her life, and for two-thirds of The Hypnosis, we find ourselves laughing at the comedic situations that ensue just as we celebrate Vera’s hard-earned freedom. Unfortunately, The Hypnosis’ exploration of gender dynamics doesn’t always work, leading to a final stretch that’s mostly hit or miss.

Exploration of Gender Dynamics Doesn’t Always Work in ‘The Hypnosis’
Image via MUBI

While this doesn’t seem like a primary concern of The Hypnosis, it’s impossible not to look at the movie through the lens of gender dynamics. André doesn’t actively try to put himself in a position of dominance in his relationship. Still, we cannot deny that Vera’s submissive behavior favors the harmony of her romantic relationship. Furthermore, since Vera is always ready to put André first, the couple’s life is devoid of any major conflict. That apparent stability, however, can only be achieved to the detriment of Vera’s mental health. The fact that André can no longer recognize his girlfriend once she starts to express her will says a lot about heteronormative couples in a patriarchal society. Because even if André is not quite a sexist, he still enjoys the power granted to him by Vera acting according to other people’s expectations of how a woman should behave.

The critique of conservative gender roles gives The Hypnosis another welcome emotional layer. Sadly, as Vera’s behavior becomes more erratic, The Hypnosis echoes the wrong message about women’s freedom. It’s been more than a century since psychology wrongly determined that hysteria is a woman-exclusive mental disease caused by the inability of the female brain to deal with repressed desires and rational thought. That’s baloney, as we know, but modern sexism still thrives thanks to the idea that a liberated woman is incapable of taking care of herself. In Vera’s case, that’s exactly what happens, as she begins to embrace self-destructive acts that damage her career.

The Hypnosis derails Vera’s healing journey for the sake of making the public laugh. That’s an unfortunate turn of events, especially when, for most of its runtime, it manages to balance good jokes with the empowerment of Vera. While things take a turn for the better before the credits roll, this is still a serious tainting of an otherwise clever script. There should be a way to grant Vera her deserved freedom without completely removing her ability to be smart about her future, something that unfortunately doesn’t always happen in The Hypnosis. In the most mind-boggling moments of her journey through chaos, the film puts comedy above coherence. Nevertheless, while The Hypnosis doesn’t always handle the character of Vera as well as it could, the movie is still a great piece of social satire. Above everything else, it deserves praise for standing in favor of a life that’s less performative and more attentive to one’s desires.

Rating: B

The Hypnosis had its world premiere at 2023’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.