1. "UFO Sweden"
The first Christmas premiere is the action comedy "UFO Sweden" signed by the pride of Norrköping, the film collective Crazy Pictures.
This is their second feature film, after "Den blomstertid nu kommer" (2018).
That time Sweden was invaded by an anonymous foreign power (okay then: Russia) this time it's about space and black holes, in something that can be described as a mix of a "Stranger things" and the "Jönsson League", plowed down in the Eastern Gothic the crowd.
Or possibly a Christopher Nolan light.
As is usually the case in the genre of family therapy by means of external threats, it is mainly playful, space-geek and some nice special effects - which have also been nominated for Guldbagge.
The previous film was financed by a fundraising campaign, but this time they reportedly had close to 40 million in their pockets.
On the other hand, Crazy pictures compete in the same arena as the big American behemoths, and in that perspective, this is a budget equivalent to a Hollywood production's coffee chest.
2. "Pee against the wind"
"Piss against the wind" - the not entirely constructive call comes from the French director duo Romane Gueret and Lise Akoka, who debut together with a loft corridor realism from the locality.
Here we get two claps in a slim package.
Partly a drama about a bunch of broken youths in a run-down suburb, partly a meta-film about a pretentious director who comes to that place to shoot a film about his own upbringing, and hires the worst of the neighborhood to play the roles.
This is a smart and empathetic (a difficult combo) metacommentary on the fine line between pathos-filled realism and exploitative random porn.
About how filmmakers coming to the vulnerable suburb only make the situation worse by reinforcing pre-existing prejudices about those who live there.
"You can probably film the successful gymnastics team instead," as some upset mothers say to the director.
The filmmakers themselves have cited the sharp, British filmmaker Andrea Arnold ("Fish tank") as a role model, which is entirely reasonable, but the thought goes just as quickly to the duo's equally sharp compatriot Laurent Cantet ("Between the walls").
Anyway two reference points you can hang at the top of the film tree.
3. "Decision to leave"
The Korean thriller virtuoso Park Chan-wook was also awarded at Cannes this year, for "Decision to leave".
This is about a homicide investigator who falls in love with a murder victim's wife, which is never advisable.
We've known that for a long time, it's a rather worn-out premise that is recognizable from film noir celebrities such as "Basic instinct" and "Woman without a conscience", but the execution is, as always when it comes to Park Chan-wook, peculiarly beautiful.
The filmmaker is best known for his so-called "revenge trilogy", as violent as it is stylized beautiful.
His films are like ornamented works of art, packed with passion and suggestion.
The violence has been toned down with the director's advancing age, replaced by an almost languishing mix of romance and fatal attraction.
Or as they say: When the devil grows old, he becomes sensual.
The films premiere on December 25.