Marianne is a Swedish horror film written and directed by Filip Tegstedt. It tells the story of Krister, a teacher whose life unravels after the death of his wife. Grief turns into guilt, and guilt into something darker — nightmares, visions, and something possibly supernatural that begins to torment him.

Krister must suddenly take on the responsibility of parenting alone: not only his newborn child, but also his older daughter Sandra. Sandra is angry, resentful, and blames Krister for the ways her mother’s absence has upended their lives. Their home, already full of sorrow, becomes a place of tension: Sandra’s mood swings, Krister’s emotional exhaustion, and the daily struggle to maintain some semblance of normalcy under the weight of grief.

On top of all that, Krister begins to suffer from recurring nightmares and night terrors. In his dreams, and sometimes waking moments, he sees a mysterious woman named Marianne. Krister suspects she is more than just a figment of his tortured mind; perhaps she is something supernatural, linked to his guilt or a curse. As time goes on, these visions become more vivid, more invasive. They bleed into his waking life, pulling him further away from his children and from safety.

The film explores themes of grief, memory, guilt, and the thin boundary between psychological trauma and supernatural horror. Is Marianne a specter born of past mistakes, suppressed regrets, or something from beyond? Krister’s journey is about trying to protect his children, reclaim his sanity, and confront what has been buried in his subconscious.

Visually the film uses darkness and silence to build atmosphere. Ordinary spaces — home, school, hallways — become places of dread. Sounds are sharp: the creaking floor, the unsettled breathing, the echoing footsteps. The film rarely relies on jump scares; instead, it uses mood, suggestion, and slow reveals of the horror beneath. The tension is in what’s unseen as much as what’s seen.

As Krister’s sense of reality begins to crack, the stakes become about more than just his mental health. The safety of his daughter, the trust she must place in him, the image of father she still holds — all are threatened if he loses himself completely. The desperation grows: to exorcise the guilt, to put to rest Marianne — whether she is a ghost, a curse, or his own guilt projected outward.

In the end, Marianne doesn’t offer easy comfort. It is not purely about defeating the supernatural, but about what it costs to face one’s inner darkness. Through torment, Krister comes to certain truths: the irreversibility of loss, the danger of secrets, and the necessity of accepting grief as part of life — painful though it may be.