How scary is this film?

I didn't find it scary at all. It was originally released in Sweden as a Drama/Thriller, not a horror.

The drama comes from the situation, not the on screen action. This film is a slow boiler, not a roller coaster. If you know this going in you might be better prepared for what you get. This film is from the same man that directed Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, Tomas Alfredson, and moves at roughly the same pace.

If you consider what might be happening inside the character's heads, you should be fine. Tomas doesn't hold your hand and tell you what's happening, you have to pay attention.

Hope this helps.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e3tGxnFKfE

http://tinyurl.com/LTROI-story

I would say its not scary but is disturbing. I think it IS horror but its also drama. In other words the vampire parts are real vampire parts and they don't cut corners or change the rules to make it more appealing ala Twilight.

Based on how the film affected me, I think Jameron and jidici are right on target. However, I've found that people I show the film to react differently to different scenes. This would be spoiler city if I gave examples, so I won't, but I infer from their reactions and words that some find it pretty scary, some seem more shocked at times than scared, and others exhibit squeamishness. None of that for this viewer. Instead, it engages me on a level of drama. I'm on the edge of my seat wondering how the set-up will play out. Who comes out okay? Who doesn't? Will it be a sad or an uplifting experience? That sort of thing.

Here's the deal -- The film is bound to have the power to evoke different responses because it is a masterpiece. Not just because it's a well-told tale, but because all of the elements of the film work together to add to how a film becomes a masterpiece. I think, then, because there is so much to the film, it necessarily has things in it that touch people differently.

To me, it is a quiet, perfectly paced film. Reading this, others may wonder if I saw the same film they did. But the film to this day still puts me into a thoughtful place of deep feelings.

Thanks everyone! I've been wanting to watch this film for a while, and your responses really helped me, and I will hopefully find time soon to watch the film. Again, thanks for the helpful responses, much appreciated! :D

People get attacked by a vampire, which can be unsettling. There's blood, which can also heighten people's fear. It's not "scary " per sey, but it can be a little intense, and one scene in particular can be very disturbing at the end, at least it was for me. I was kinda shocked. So on a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 5.

There are no real jump scares and by the standards of the horror genre, very little onscreen gore and violence. There are scenes with disturbing implications, though. In terms of Jodie Foster's filmography, it's much closer to The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane than to Silence of the Lambs.

[Having shown it to lots of people], I infer from their reactions and words that some find it pretty scary, some seem more shocked at times than scared, and others exhibit squeamishness. None of that for this viewer. Instead, it engages me on a level of drama. I'm on the edge of my seat wondering how the set-up will play out. Who comes out okay? Who doesn't? Will it be a sad or an uplifting experience? That sort of thing.

I've watched the "scariest" - per public opinion - movies, shrugged, and fallen right to sleep. Watched this at 9 pm on a Friday, finally drifted off mid-Saturday am. Creepy. Disturbing.