Ostensibly Bergman's only horror movie (debatable), and of course he wasn't going to make a "normal" one. A harrowing psychological drama about the fear of being known, of realizing the people closest to you are capable of harboring terrible secrets, and of others believing they understand and own you via your art (with a smattering of homophobia thrown in, because we have to cover all the classic emasculating anxieties). I have to wonder if Eggers was influenced by this for The Lighthouse, both being surreal character studies set on remote islands where the two leads rapidly fall apart from one another.
It's Bergman so the symbolism is coming out the ears, but surprisingly the moments when he opts for literal nightmares are the least interesting. The quiet foreboding of Alma waiting in the cabin or the chaos of the dinner scene are so much more unsettling, seeing actual monsters almost feels goofy. Weirdly overexposed in a lot of scenes as well, though the gorgeous nights almost make up for it.
Great addition to the tortured artist becomes the torturer canon. Never trust people who live in castles.
Content warnings: child abuse, domestic abuse, murder of a child