Best Swedish-directed movie?

I saw "Shanghai" in Beijing, where on the cinema posters the names of the non-Chinese crew are also given in Chinese characters. As such I did not pay much attention to who the director was. Figured it must be some random American.

So I watch the whole thing, and love it. Film noir set in my favourite country? How can it go wrong? Then the credits roll, and up comes... Mikael Hofström. Possibly my biggest "whaaaaaat?!" moment in many years.

I have often been sceptical of Swedish film, as they all seem to fall in three or four genres that are all very cliché. Every now and then somebody will try to depart from the conventions, but with little success.

Suppose it's not totally unexpected from the guy who made the, to my knowledge, only Swedish slasher movie. Which sadly was not well recieved since people did not think the American slasher conventions fit into a Swedish setting.


My point being, this is the best I've seen by a Swedish director. Haven't seen 1408 yet however, Hofström's other movie with foreign cast.