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Songs from the Second Floor
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Songs from the Second Floor

2000
Comedy
Drama
1h 38m
Composed of a series of immaculately staged tableaux, Songs From the Second Floor is a stylized black comedy-turned-nightmare. (Film Forum)
Directed by:
Roy Andersson Roy Andersson
Written by:
Roy Andersson Roy Andersson
Starring:
Lars Nordh Stefan Larsson Bengt C.W. Carlsson Torbjörn Fahlström Sten Andersson Rolando Núñez Lucio Vucina Per Jörnelius
More
Genres:
Comedy, Drama
AKAs:
Sånger från andra våningen, Sanger fra andre etasje
Countries:
Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Languages:
Swedish, Russian
imdb More information at IMDb
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Songs from the Second Floor

2000
Comedy
Drama
1h 38m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 68.62% from 1039 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(1039)
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theficionadotheficionado
Rated 05 Feb 2010
75
74th
Disciplined, surreal take on our human condition -- here's a world, depicted in muted tones and blindingly antiseptic whites, where rampant commodification has left no avenue for expression, the future is sacrificed for pointless self-preservation, men are literally bogged down by material good, and the spectre of regret is ever-looming -- but I prefer the fleeting joys at the edge of the precipice that Andersson's follow-up You, the Living finds.
Rated 05 Feb 2010
cclxndrcclxndr
Rated 03 Feb 2011
85
79th
Through its lack of colors, lack of emotions, and lack of movement depict a surreal take on the human condition. Here's a world that is ransacked with people overcome by material need and stress, so caught up in their own lives and issues, they don't realize how absurd everything around them is. Andersson takes common situations, most of them the odd and bizarre events of real life, and forces the viewer to see how ridiculous life is and how unnecessary it is to take anything so seriously.
Rated 03 Feb 2011
denizgdenizg
Rated 31 Jul 2017
100
99th
sinema bu değilse başka bir şey hiç değildir
Rated 31 Jul 2017
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 23 Feb 2011
30
13th
Haiku review: Anderson's a bore / Pretentious artsy drivel / Swedes should lighten up.
Rated 23 Feb 2011
arkadiaarkadia
Rated 18 Feb 2009
88
83rd
Beguiling. Each well-composed scene seduces you with humorous surprises before you can realize that the camera never moves (with one exception).
Rated 18 Feb 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 06 Aug 2007
30
15th
Basically what Roy Andersson did here was throw together a big bunch of seldom witty (but always cynical) caricatures, slap a blue filter on the lens and film them in long, unmoving, highly-staged long-shots. If that's what floats your boat, whatever. I don't like caricatures myself and the fancy cinematography seemed onanistic and pretentious and didn't help one bit.
Rated 06 Aug 2007
flipwhitmanFlipWhitman
Rated 29 May 2015
85
81st
Pretty sure that was the uncle from the Harry Potter movies.
Rated 29 May 2015
rufamRufam
Rated 17 Nov 2014
70
57th
One dethatched, odd sequence after another, Andersson narrates the bankruptcy of capitalist society and the overall irrationality of the human condition until he makes sure you are depressed. It's a fine effort with some piercing high points (the parts with the dead people, notably) -unfortunately, its caricatures hardly allow any emotional investment. In other words, I went "Hmm, that's clever" many times during the film but I was only occasionally touched by the dour proceedings.
Rated 17 Nov 2014
kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 24 Nov 2008
8
84th
Refreshingly odd. Style over substance? Nah. Rather build up of real, human substance through meticulous style.
Rated 24 Nov 2008
icarusIcarus
Rated 17 Oct 2007
88
85th
These "songs" offer a surreal look at what humanity has done with the world. Andersson's film makes clear that we have lost our way, that the world as it is currently constituted, enamored with money-grubbing profiteers, offers no hope for humanity. Only Kalle seems to question all this, a self-inflicted tragedy in his own business leaving him vulnerable to guilt, and maybe, change. The final image of the film, littered with crucifixes and the dead, offer a subtle hint at an answer . . . or not.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 06 Mar 2024
83
92nd
#3100 In the whimsical realm of 'Songs from the Second Floor' (2000), Roy Andersson choreographs a ballet of absurdity, where the human condition takes center stage. Drawing inspiration from the poetic musings of César Vallejo, this film serves up a smorgasbord of existential queries with a side of droll humor. A visual and cerebral delight, 'Songs from the Second Floor' invites you to laugh, ponder, and perhaps, find solace in the shared vulnerability of our existence.
Rated 06 Mar 2024
abunchofcatsABUNCHOFCATS
Rated 27 Jul 2015
95
96th
A kafkaesque black comedy composed of a ton of long takes. Almost like watching someone's dreams or nightmares unfold on the screen.
Rated 27 Jul 2015
lepraLepra
Rated 11 Jun 2013
77
81st
I know this was made in 2000 and this will sound stupid but I couldn't get rid of the idea while watching that in a way this film is about the financial crisis. Anyway this was an interesting movie.
Rated 11 Jun 2013
lunheurlunheur
Rated 08 Nov 2011
40
19th
Good lord....this was unnecessarily dull and painful to watch. Thought I was going to love it.
Rated 08 Nov 2011
cinemahellcinema_hell
Rated 14 Jul 2011
70
33rd
Sometimes it looks like a cross between Robert Altman and Aki Kaurismäki, with some symbolic elements attacking the capitalist madness of the modern world. But this last point was overdone by many other filmmakers, for decades. Those scenes with the wooden crucifixes, for example, look very childish to me, trying to criticize some religious doctrines. But I'm not saying it's a bad movie, it's just not my kind of thing.
Rated 14 Jul 2011
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 16 Nov 2012
90
94th
A dry but darkly humorous take on life told with a unique and intriguing vision. The seductively simple camerawork draws you in, and the time just flies by.
Rated 16 Nov 2012
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 20 Jun 2015
7
57th
Andersson's inaugural installment about human nature leads you through the dark corridors of mankind by means of odd yet compelling vignettes that are as funny as they are pitiful. While his rigorous, deliberate style may prove unrewarding and repetitive for some, the dreary circumstances his characters find themselves in unfold with unexpected impact. Recommended for anyone looking for something comical yet potent and offbeat.
Rated 20 Jun 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 05 Sep 2019
69
35th
As extraordinary staged as these segments are, they end up contributing to an inert overall picture. Each scene, shot in a delicately staged master shot that provides a very European style of macabre depression, only work for themselves and there's so much going on in each of these shots, they actually don't add any dynamic variety over the course of the film.
Rated 05 Sep 2019
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 14 Jul 2010
86
84th
The use of visual depth is really striking and the melancholic mood makes for a very interesting experience.
Rated 14 Jul 2010
octaveOctave
Rated 27 May 2010
73
77th
René Magritte framed and presented by Roy Andersson aka What the fuck are we living for?
Rated 27 May 2010
petrostserPetrosTser
Rated 14 Oct 2019
60
44th
The static camera and interesting figures as well as the different setpieces that appear without warning succeed in engaging and surprising. Andersson has put a lot of good ideas into this film, resulting in several resonant, interesting as well as funny moments. Nevertheless, I felt that the apathy permeating the film outstayed its welcome, given that the point was already clear pretty early on.
Rated 14 Oct 2019
scurryscurry
Rated 26 Jan 2008
35
23rd
Style over substance. Pointless.
Rated 26 Jan 2008
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 25 Mar 2008
69
63rd
Roy Andersson's style is unbeatable: lack of colors, lack of emotions, lack of movement. Even camera is standing still. But it's hilarious, funny, often common situations turned into odd and bizarre moments taken from real life, though some extra surreal moments. People stuck in their lifes, entire city queueing on same road. I got the point of the movie, but it's way too long! His short film World of Glory works way better because it's short. A must-see movie anyway.
Rated 25 Mar 2008
staryarabbistaryarabbi
Rated 25 Jul 2014
60
39th
i think this theme of material alienation and amoral emotionless cold society satires especially in Scandinavia became such a cliche that at the end they don't offer something transgerssive and new. what they do is to depict such a cold universe again and again. i don't want to buy this eventhough its a well made stylistic movie.
Rated 25 Jul 2014
jpotiijpotII
Rated 05 Feb 2020
74
76th
Aquário
Rated 05 Feb 2020
yiannosYiannos
Rated 28 Jul 2014
83
95th
Like an unholy cross between Fellini, Bunuel and Bergman, Andersson's tragi-comic take on the emptiness of modern consumer life was a near perfect film about millennial dread. Employing fixed camera positions, complicated one take sequences and astonishing set designs to create strikingly bleak tableaux, the artifice is intentional: the 'characters' seem trapped in the frame, which reflects their alienated self absorption; and Andersson's mordant wit is both devastatingly kind and cruel.
Rated 28 Jul 2014
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 31 Aug 2014
70
17th
Definitely not as accessible or enjoyable as 'You, The Living'. Andersson's absurdist vignettes here are a bit too slow, pallid and repetitive for my taste. Most of the scenes were so boring, I couldn't bring myself to understand the message.
Rated 31 Aug 2014
ubeydubeyd
Rated 27 Nov 2015
9
96th
bownBown
Rated 11 Jun 2022
86
80th
This is what directing commercials for 25 years does for your opinion on capitalism
Rated 11 Jun 2022
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 04 Jun 2020
83
85th
A frighteningly prescient depiction of post-millennium living, predating yet predicting the existential anxieties of post-9/11 and the 2008 housing crisis. Andersson's uncanny ability to compose his shots and meticulously block his subjects in deep focus calls to mind the formal brilliance of something like Tati's 'Playtime,' albeit with a dark, absurdist humour whose deadpan nature itself feels like self-parody of Swedish culture and its stringent adherence to an autonomy of the 'self.'
Rated 04 Jun 2020
florin92Florin92
Rated 02 Apr 2024
64
55th
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 16 Apr 2014
36
5th
Excruciating to watch. Each tableaux is (with some exceptions) comprised of a single static medium shot with a deep background. The colors are very muted and there is little and/or slow movement on screen. It makes for the most visually uninteresting piece of film I've ever seen. Such a chore to get through. It's a shame because the script seems like it had potential.
Rated 16 Apr 2014
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 21 Feb 2016
18
96th
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Rated 21 Feb 2016
executgrexecutgr
Rated 16 Apr 2024
10
4th
evolutionEvolution
Rated 02 Sep 2009
77
58th
Wow, this is bleak. As others pointed out, great style but no substance. This had much potential, if only it had a backbone.
Rated 02 Sep 2009
coheedCoheed
Rated 14 May 2011
100
97th
An immense film if there ever was one. It is superior to the later work "You, The Living" by the director in that it has a clearer central idea linking all the scenes together, an unconventional apocalyptic scenario which is both funny and also exceptionally disturbing. Its a masterpiece.
Rated 14 May 2011
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 04 Apr 2013
15
3rd
bir kaç hikayeyi iceriyor. Gösteri sirasinda adam kesen sihirbaz, dükkani yanan ve sigortacilari ikna etmeye calisan bir adam ve adamin akil hastanesine düsen oglu. Adamin ölen arkadasinin ruhu adamin pesindedir. ve adam ona olan borcunu ödemeyecegi için mutlu oldugunu söylemistir. Kafa karistiran ve bunaltan bir film...
Rated 04 Apr 2013
ottott
Rated 22 Feb 2022
75
68th
all the very good and very real aside in this one i started to feel tired of andersson's preoccupation with christianity, but i still kinda get it in a weberian sense
Rated 22 Feb 2022
sweeper770Sweeper770
Rated 03 Sep 2017
82
54th
Bi sik anlamadım
Rated 03 Sep 2017
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 07 Feb 2007
96
98th
A thoughtful, comic indictment of corporate drudgery, bureaucratic indifference and personal disconnects. The tone is Buñuellian, a cross between Exterminating Angel and Phantom of Liberty. It's presented as a series of miserable (but funny) episodes, intermittently switching between a handful of main characters. The world is composed of cold bluish-grays and off-whites, and a delightful surrealism is maintained without ever getting so out of control that it unhinges the film.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 23 May 2022
90
93rd
Each tableaux unfolds itself slowly, opening up space for sharp, concise dialogue and action that condemns and depicts the fading condition we are stuck sinking in.
Rated 23 May 2022
mrcimrci
Rated 26 Aug 2022
49
27th
Original grotesque-surreal movie with sweet-sour scenes. Shot with long sequences, bleak like life of people depicted in it. I did prefer "Du Levante" way more than this one.
Rated 26 Aug 2022
michukmichuk
Rated 18 Jan 2008
90
92nd
The mankind is falling. Most decadent movie I've ever seen. Seems inspired by Bergman, Bunuel and Jodorovsky at the same time. A must-see one
Rated 18 Jan 2008
tarwebroodtarwebrood
Rated 16 Apr 2023
60
31st
Artsey and meh
Rated 16 Apr 2023
big_lemonsBig Lemons
Rated 06 Oct 2010
86
76th
It's certainly it's own creature. Deserves one or two more views.
Rated 06 Oct 2010
ab_i_hayaAb-ı Haya
Rated 12 Mar 2022
84
83rd
01.17 Hobbit
Rated 12 Mar 2022
j_tavernierJ. Tavernier
Rated 08 Jul 2011
80
75th
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 30 May 2009
40
36th
watchable
Rated 30 May 2009
xacviantxacviant
Rated 04 Feb 2012
89
89th
Roy Andersson's sweeping absurdist comedy, profiling a strange Swedish city where human sacrifice, self-flagellating mobs, and ghosts alike command our attention. There's no real plot, although the wanderings of the broken-down businessman Kalle (Lars Nordh) provide a bit of through-line. No matter: it's an immensely imaginative and audacious film, with stunning sets and cinematography, fine acting, and witty, ultra-dry writing and directing. And remember: "Blessed are those who sit down."
Rated 04 Feb 2012
egbertsouseEgbertSouse
Rated 01 Nov 2009
75
41st
Visually and conceptionally striking, even if it drags a bit and could have used more cohesion.
Rated 01 Nov 2009
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 28 Oct 2022
77
64th
This is surrealism don't right. I can't say I understood all or even most of it (some symbolism is much clearer than others), but it's compelling, and the central distress call about modern life comes through loud and clear. It's listed as a black comedy, but I didn't find much humor of it. Never since The Red Balloon have I seen a film that so aggressively assures that bright colors have nearly no place in its world, which is a great design decision.
Rated 28 Oct 2022
shewasSheWas
Rated 20 Jun 2023
97
99th
vinegarbobVinegarBob
Rated 27 Mar 2011
90
96th
Some will find this style of film intolerable, but I think its languid pace, combined with its unfeasibly long takes perfectly illustrates how insignificant an impact most of us make on the world around us, and is wonderfully effective at portraying the stultifying banality of most peoples' existence. As an added bonus it's funny too. Watching these people muddle through life's bleakness and absurdities made me smirk often, and occasionally utter a muted guffaw.
Rated 27 Mar 2011
blockrockerBlockrocker
Rated 09 Jul 2010
91
92nd
Visionary!
Rated 09 Jul 2010
nanabourNanabour
Rated 17 Dec 2021
79
96th
Like a poem
Rated 17 Dec 2021

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