Topp 10 Möst

Topp 10 Möst is an endearing Icelandic road movie that finds humor in the morbid and grim. Arna (Helga Braga Jónsdóttir) is a middle aged divorcee and horror-prop maker who has recently lost the will to live. After a few false starts on her suicide, she figures that she should make a bucket list; “Top 10 Must Do Before Killing Yourself.” She decides that her first priority is to see the countryside, and thus embarks on a road trip.

Meanwhile, at a women’s prison, Mjöll (Tanja Björk) is planning a breakout so that she can visit her estranged daughter and beg her ex to reconsider a decision that places Mjöll’s parental rights in jeopardy. Upon escaping, Mjöll seeks refuge in the trunk of Arna’s car. Together, they take an ersatz tourist trip around the country, becoming close friends while Arna helps Mjöll evade capture.

The film touches on many issues that feel particularly applicable to the times we find ourselves in. Arna’s suicidality is driven by loneliness and a feeling that no one needs her. Mjöll’s story touches (albeit lightly) on the utter dehumanization and powerlessness that prisons engender in their prisoners, and how this pushes people to “re-offend.” As audience members, we discover in concert with the characters that what Arna needs is someone to care for, and what Mjöll needs is to be cared for. In a world of increasing alienation and manufactured factionalism, this premise rings true. The film does well not to get too heavy at any point, in fact, by treating suicide with such irreverence, it effectively navigates the taboo that the topic holds.
Making good use of the Icelandic countryside, Topp 10 Möst is a fresh, slightly sardonic spin on the “girl’s trip” comedy genre. As the film asserts, sometimes laughing at terrible things is the most effective way to neutralize them.