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Swede Caroline is a mockumentary whichtakes us back to 2017 with ‘Marrowgate’, at a vegetable competition, where several farmers came together, but with Caroline’s (Jo Hartley – Passenger) huge whopper being disqualified due to a hairline crack within, despite doing her best to grow the perfect one by marinating it in fish guts.
The main problem with this film is that it’s too preposterous a concept to last the 90+ minute runnig time. Plus, not every joke hits its target, and they haven’t got enough funny lines or concepts in this, anyway, not least the fact that because reasons, Caroline she hires private investigators in the form of swingers Louise (Aisling Bea – Eve Of The Daleks: Doctor Who) and Lawrence (Ray Fearon – Father Christmas Is Back).
There’s also too many characters in this – a case in point being Celyn Jones (Six Minutes To Midnight) as Willy, who only appears to dilute the number of lines for Paul (Richard Lumsden – Sightseers), appearing in the same scenes, and Willy just gibbers away like an idiot. Plus, I’m sure Homes Under The Hammer‘s Tommy Walsh played a cop at one point, but I can’t find him amongst the credits on IMDB.
Personally, I’m sick of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, especially the way it’s been hijacked in recent years, with drunks chanting “so good” multiple times. Thankfully, that’s avoided here, although there is a moment when the title comes about in the script, only Paul appears to notice it, and he sings the chorus, follows it up with “BA-BA-BAAAAAAA!”, only for the rest of the cast onscreen to either ignore him completely, or look at him with bemusement, as if they’ve never heard of it.
Despite not being as funny as it thinks it is, at least Swede Caroline received *a* screening, as Odeon found one showing a day within its schedule to project this film during its opening week. But films should aspire to being more than just filling a gap in the day like a sandwich.
Swede Caroline is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 97 minutes
Release date: April 19th 2024
Studio: Belstone Pictures
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 3/10
Directors: Finn Bruce, Brook Driver
Producers: Finn Bruce, Anthony Toma
Screenplay: Brook Driver
Music: Dan Baboulene
Cast:
Caroline: Jo Hartley
Paul: Richard Lumsden
Louise: Aisling Bea
Lawrence: Ray Fearon
Willy: Celyn Jones
Olga: Alice Lowe
Linda: Fay Ripley
Tony Knight: Neil Edmond
Charles Anthony: Ash Tandon
Veg Judges: Mark Silcox, Ray Burnet
Sonia Bumbridge: Linda Hargreaves
Gail Knight: Wendy Albiston
Alan Bumbridge: Jeff Bennett
MP Nigel Patterson: Steve Brody
Old Allotment Grower: Robert Donald
Kirsty: Rebekah Murrell
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.