For over two decades, Swedish media personalities, Lars Filip Hammar, who normally does not use his first name, and Fredrik Wikingsson, have entertained the public with television series, podcasts and books. Now they are trying their hand at becoming documentarians with their second feature film, “The Last Journey” (2024), which Sweden submitted to the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature. Anything is possible, but it is unlikely that it will get a nomination. The movie’s premise is that Filip wants to reignite his eighty-year-old father’s spark for life, so he and Fredrik take retired French teacher Lars Hammar on a road trip from Koping to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, which is a solid idea. Unfortunately, the execution becomes a self-own on caretaking and is less universally relatable than it purports to be.
If you are familiar with “The Trip” franchise starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, it would not be a leap to wonder if Filip and Fredrik saw it and thought that they could do the same and stick the landing. Not at all. Filip inadvertently creates the impression that he has not seen his dad in decades and is shocked to discover that his father has aged. When Lars, Filip’s father, retired in 2008, he envisioned that he would travel, but Lars is in pain and can barely move. To be fair, in comparison, Linda, Filip’s mother and Lars’ wife, is still active and full of pep. She cosigns Filip’s idea to take Lars on a road trip.
Filip constantly sets Lars up for failure by not treating him as someone with a disability that aging caused and thinking that it is all mental. Filip whines, “a lot of it is in your head.” Without missing a beat, Lars quips, “I’m in a wheelchair.” They do not even make it out of Sweden without incident. Fredrik becomes the audience surrogate telling Filip to stop ignoring reality and filtering out negative facts. Filip prioritizes how he feels, not improving Lars’ spirit. When you look up weaponized incompetence, “The Last Journey” should pop up. A huge swath of the road trip occurs without Lars. On Father’s Day, Filip is far from his dad, and mom must leave home to take care of her husband while Filip has a nice dinner with Fredrik while complaining that his dad is ducking his calls. When they do connect, Filip has the nerve to say, “Stop it. You’re making me feel worse.” Dude, you made your dad more disabled during the trip because you did not stay close to him, and you have a camera crew! How!?! People with less resources manage to make sure that their loved ones do not break bones.
While Filip redeems himself slightly as the denouement approaches, it is only because Lars is less ailing, not because Filip has accommodated him. Filip even tries to con Fredrik into taking the messy tasks off his hands though the cameras are there, and hopefully it is all just a joke, and Filip is not as dull as he plays on screen. Filip has two children and is somehow still married. He must be the fun dad. Eye roll. To be fair, the forced activity eventually has a beneficial effect on Lars, but if he did not improve, Filip and Fredrik were going to shoot this movie one way or another. It is a breathtaking lesson in self-centeredness and making it all about their comfort, not the person that they use as an excuse for a free work trip.
Fredrik is the hotter of the duo and more sensible, but he is just as culpable when “The Last Journey” turns into a television show with skits purporting to be real life events, an elaborate set up to recreate a moment from Filip’s childhood and the purchasing of a parrot. Fredrik keeps setting up these contrived moments that just detract from living in the moment and further highlight the gap between living in the past and acknowledging the present. The best television trope transferred to the film is the compilation reel of former students giving testimonials thanking Lars for being a caring teacher. This movie is the most popular documentary in Sweden. Americans seem a little less stupid now because at least many of our documentaries are better. This movie’s biggest flaw is its filmmakers’ stubborn unwillingness to take the subject seriously and constantly make it uplifting. Toxic positivity transcends borders.
At least “The Last Journey” has amazing production values and looks as gorgeous as any television series related to traveling. The pair transcend their television formatting and reach cinematic heights when they juxtapose or superimpose old photographs, audio and home videos while the trip is unfolding. It is a bittersweet contrast between who Lars was and who he is and offers a rare opportunity to show, not tell, the central story. if the film had the courage to stay the course, embrace the fact that sometimes life does not go as planned and became comfortable with being uncomfortable, then it would deserve the accolades it has received. In other words, the film is at its best when Filip and Fredrik are not busy hamming it up for the camera, and Lars takes center stage.
Visually the formatting is initially inviting. From the opening scene, the filmmakers are wise to introduce everyone and not assume that they are well known. It offers a margin of error to make the pair seem like ordinary people if a moviegoer is ignorant of their schtick. Using orange lettering, people get assigned their role as “The Father,” “The Son,” “The Mother,” and “The Best Friend.” Later, it becomes obvious why the letters are orange—it is the color of the car that Lars used for family trips and Filip buys for his attempt to recreate childhood magic. If there are time shifts that may not be obvious, the date is put on screen. The location is always noted. A map graphic shows the length of the journey and offers insight into the terrain. As the movie continues and more characters are introduced, “The Last Journey” abandons any effort to introduce supporting characters even if they were there the first time around. They just become a sea of older people nattering on, and it never occurs to the oblivious pair that they are closer to becoming like them.
Is this how people who are not Americans and are less familiar with Will Farrell see “Will & Harper” (2024)? Even though the American road trip documentary is clearly less spontaneous and more structured than it purports to be, it still succeeds at achieving its goal. “The Last Journey” feels superficial. Everyone struggles with accepting that a parent is approaching the final chapter, but this film makes a lot of noise to avoid that reality. Instead of being a way to give more quality time to Lars, it is a documentary about Filip making it all about him and his comfort. Your dad is not getting old to hurt you. No amount of cute, staged bonding moments makes it feel like authentic connection. When things get hard, Filip lets others do the heavy lifting. At least his version of a midlife crisis is better than the alternatives.
