Koko-di Koko-da is a unique, challenging take on time loop horror that’s both emotional and savage.

“Sure, I can. It’s a free world…”

We’re at a strange point in horror where the genre has become so inventive that something as niche as “time loop horror” can grow into its own sub-genre. Lately, there have been a slew of particularly creative spins on time going wonky and getting out of control, but Koko-di Koko-da is by far the strangest and most disturbing of its breed. This isn’t just a frightening exercise in feeling powerless in the face of the universe, but also a cathartic, intimate story about a couple that’s in desperate need to reconnect.

Koko-di Koko-da is a wildly effective creative mash-up of time loop horror with emotional grief that comes from. Sweden’s Johannes Nyholm. The film begins with happy couple, Elin (Ylva Gallon) and Tobias (Leif Edlund), undergoing a terrible tragedy that rocks the foundation of their family. Years later, it seems like they’ve maybe been able to get back to a good place, but a mysterious series of events seems to trap them in the past and force them to repeatedly reckon with their former trauma until it can permanently be put to rest. It takes an incredibly emotional internal story and then turns it into something more cosmic, but all in the name of reflection. It uses this intense premise as a way for Elin and Tobias to finally move on and receive the therapy that they need.

There’s an interesting haunted folk tale aesthetic to the film that gives it this eerie, dream-like quality, even when the subject matter is pitch black. It’s a strange reconciliation of sensibilities, but it works. It almost puts you in a child’s innocent, confused perspective through all of this. Youthful drawings, shadow play, and puppetry are all used for different storytelling purposes and they really stand out. Each achieves something different and helps really give this stark story even more of a personality and vulnerability. It almost taps into the weird, bonkers energy of a season of Channel Zero or episode of Legion. It’s like a nightmare carnival’s rendition of grief and loss.

At the center of this pain is a trio of antagonists that are extremely unsettling. These otherworldly villains (led by an extremely creepy Peter Belli) that fill each time loop almost feel like they’re time personified and that they’re these immortal gauntlets designed to viciously carry out what an ethereal concept isn’t capable of doing. They’re such a weird, different approach to menacing monsters. Something surreal like this arguably has more impact than something that’s overtly scary, like Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers. You don’t know how this time trio will dispose of you.

Koko-di Koko-da operates with a very weird logic and reality that’s in play. This takes some time to orient yourself around, but that confusion is part of what makes this weird experience so memorable. It’s unclear exactly what the parameter and rules are for all of this. As this sandbox begins to expand or contract, the situation becomes increasingly fascinating. Much like Tobias and Elin within the film, there’s no certainty on when things will become “safe” or if there’s even an exit that can be reached.

One of Koko-di Koko-da’s biggest strengths is that there’s such a palpable fear through the film that can’t be escaped. This connects on two levels, as both the actors in peril do incredible jobs and you’re truly scared for them, and that the antagonists are just so vicious that it’s hard to not be intimidated by them. There’s a brilliant set piece where Tobias cowers in fear and is afraid to look at what’s happening to his wife. The camera hides with him and only provides glimpses of the horror whenever he’s brave enough to take a look. It’s a simple, yet brilliant way to deliver the fear.

The film’s unpredictable rules are very satisfying, but the film is just as concerned with Tobias and Elin’s strained relationship. Koko-di Koko-da separates these two through its surreal exercises and in doing so it reinforces the strengths and weaknesses of their bond. The majority of Koko-di Koko-da examines Tobias’ unsuccessful attempts to pull him and his wife out of this carnivorous time loop, but it does also shift over to Elin’s misguided efforts. The ways in which both Tobias and Elin fail to save each other reveal more about the trap that they’re caught in, but it also speaks volumes for themselves. Their problem solving solutions cleverly speak to their priorities in the moment.

After enduring all of this, Tobias and Elin both gain a better understanding of what the trauma of defeat can awaken in themselves as well as each other. As brutal as the scenario is that Tobias and Elin are caught in here, it’s also fair to say that without it their relationship would further decay into nothingness. As much as they may hate to admit it, all of this insane pain and time travel madness is helping them.

In addition to all of the mind-bending madness, Koko-di Koko-da is also just a very well shot film that features staggering cinematography through all of the time loop shenanigans. Each new time loop incorporates some inventive, unique minimalist camera setup that capitalizes on the fear of the moment in some fresh way. Something like this could easily get tiring very quickly, but Koko-di Koko-da operates with unwavering confidence. Shots linger, take their time, and aren’t concerned with pleasing the audience. They find the perfect moments to strike and there are some very striking sequences as a result, even if similar events continue to transpire.

It’s also impressive just how depressing and nihilistic this film is as it’s determined to defeat its protagonists at every turn. Their existence is rendered into a torturous therapy exercise from hell that’s designed to break them. That being said, this is a film about togetherness and implicit empathy. It may be a bumpy road to get there, but Koko-di Koko-da puts its characters through the worst to get them to reach their best.

There’s a prolonged moment in Koko-di Koko-da where a shot lingers on an insect that’s caught in a spider’s web. That eerie image is a rather brilliant visual distillation of the entire movie. Try as they might, Tobias and Elin are just stuck in time’s web. Koko-di Koko-da is a wonder to watch unfold and one of the most surprising and emotional horror films of the year.