The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep is a thrilling psychological drama movie from 2020 directed by Yuval Adler that stars Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, and Chris Messina. The movie is set in post-World War II America, and it deals with the long-lasting trauma of the war on the survivors as well as families of the war's victims.

The story revolves around a Romanian immigrant named Maja (Noomi Rapace), who lives with her husband Lewis (Joel Kinnaman) and their young son in a small town in the United States. One day, Maja sees a man walking down the street who she is convinced is her tormentor from a concentration camp during the war. Traumatized by the memory, Maja approaches the man and captures him while he's alone in an alley. Maja brings the man to the family's basement and begins to interrogate him, but her husband Lewis knows nothing about the incident.

The movie jumps back and forth between the events in the basement, where Maja is trying to extract a confession from the man, and flashbacks that reveal her past. As the story unfolds, we discover that Maja didn't escape the concentration camp alone. She was with her sister who didn't survive the ordeal, and the man in question seems to have been responsible for her sister's death.

Maja is determined to make the man pay for his crimes, but the truth of what happened in the basement is far more complex than it initially appears. As tensions rise and events begin to spiral out of control, Maja's mental state is further tested, and she is forced to question not only the man's identity but also her own sense of justice and morality.

The performances of the three leads in The Secrets We Keep are outstanding, especially Noomi Rapace's portrayal of a woman driven by vengeance but also struggling with her own psychological scars. Joel Kinnaman plays the role of her supportive husband, who eventually becomes entangled in her world, and Chris Messina delivers a convincing performance as the man in the basement whose past is shrouded in mystery.

The movie's directing and cinematography are also top-notch. The locations are well chosen, and the movie's color palette is muted, matching the somber mood of the story. The score also adds to the movie's eerie atmosphere, emphasizing the tension and drama throughout.

Overall, The Secrets We Keep is a thought-provoking and intense thriller that explores the themes of trauma, revenge, and morality. It is an outstanding movie that will keep you on edge until the very end.