Detta är skildringen av en helt vanlig dag i en amerikansk high school. En dag som fylls med lektioner, fotbollsträning, hobbyverksamhet och skvaller i korridorerna. Varje elev, som vi lär känna, har sin syn på skolan. Den upplevs vara allt från stimulerande till traumatisk. Den kontroversiella Elephant, som tar avstamp i massakern vid Columbine High School, hade premiär vid filmfestivalen i Cannes 2003 där den i tävlan med bland annat Lars von Triers Dogville tog Grand Slam och vann både Guldpalmen och pris för bästa regi.
Where to Watch Elephant
- Burnharm22 maj 2026I loved Elephan, it is totally shocking, but also pure cinema. Gus Van Sant turns a school day into something almost ghostly, using long takes, silence, and repetition to create unbearable tension. The film does not explain too much, and that makes it even more powerful. It feels detached, poetic, and terrifying at the same time. A devastating masterpiece.
- Jennifer Mosorova3 september 2026The realism made this feel so unsettling, especially knowing the real life-event that inspired it. The last 15 minutes were intense and the whole film really stayed with me.
- Garrett Wilkins24 augusti 2026I haven’t seen a film capture the rhythm of what was supposed to be a regular school day quite as unsettlingly as Elephant. Gus Van Sant spends much of the film simply following students through hallways, classrooms and quiet conversations, allowing the camera to drift from one person to another without telling us which moments are important. Harris Savides' long, flowing shots give the school an almost documentary-like sense of space, while the young cast's natural performances make everything feel so mundane. That ordinariness becomes increasingly uncomfortable because the film never announces what is coming or tries to build the kind of tension a conventional thriller would. Van Sant's refusal to offer easy explanations for the people responsible or turn the tragedy into a simple lesson is one of the film's boldest choices, though it can also make Elephant feel emotionally distant. I found myself more fascinated by the filmmaking than connected to the characters, but that distance forces you to sit with the frightening randomness of what happens. There is no satisfying explanation or emotional release waiting at the end. Looking back on Elephant, I think that cold restraint is a big part of why it remains such a striking film, even if it doesn't always make for an easy viewing experience.
- Cubane28 mars 2026Half the time it feels like Unsolved Mysteries Columbine edition, and the other half it feels like Twilight fanfiction Columbine edition. There are parts that feel like a dramatization of the exact events, and parts where the writer thought their fetish was much better disguised than it actually was. Nothing about this movie is just okay, only things that are excellent and terrible. The pacing swings so quickly from trickle to flood and back again I should sue the director for whiplash. After utterly wasting a good 20 minutes it does start to build some solid tension that pays off; with parts of the action that look and sound brutally realistic and then parts that are so poorly researched it's appalling they made final cut. The acting is great for a micro budget movie. Some of the camera work is pretty clever, if a little too static at times. If you're looking for a movie that will put you to sleep and abruptly wake you up after, look no further.
- Bruh Lamp5 augusti 2026terrible pace and story telling. We need to talk about kevin is better
- cultfilmliker2 oktober 2025“Most importantly, have fun, man.” The real elephant in the room is people acting like this is incredibly profound? Does Van Sant think they did it bc they got made fun of for “being gay”? Lotta nuance missing here; that or just a very mixed message… Polytechnique did it better. Loved the cinematography though!! That hair immediately takes me back to grade school. The bathroom scene gave me PTSD While the theme / events still resonate (maybe even more now?), it is very clearly a product of its time, which is fine! But I am very confused about the placement and connotation of the shower scene. Was that a known thing or is this just some weird projection / condemnation of “sexual deviancy” Also, I GOTTA ASK: What kind of gun was that they were shooting in the basement? The loosest grip possible and absolutely no kickback? Most OP AR ever (I’m sorry) While clearly inspired by it, I still think that 2.5 minute Sandy Hook Promise ad also did it better lol smh
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Elephant was released on 3 oktober 2003.
Elephant was directed by Gus Van Sant.
Elephant has a runtime of 81m.
Elephant was produced by Dany Wolf.
Detta är skildringen av en helt vanlig dag i en amerikansk high school. En dag som fylls med lektioner, fotbollsträning, hobbyverksamhet och skvaller i korridorerna. Varje elev, som vi lär känna, har sin syn på skolan. Den upplevs vara allt från stimulerande till traumatisk. Den kontroversiella Elephant, som tar avstamp i massakern vid Columbine High School, hade premiär vid filmfestivalen i Cannes 2003 där den i tävlan med bland annat Lars von Triers Dogville tog Grand Slam och vann både Guldpalmen och pris för bästa regi.
The key characters in Elephant are Alex (Alex Frost), Eric (Eric Deulen), John McFarland (John Robinson).
Elephant is rated 15.
Elephant is a Drama, Kriminal, Thriller film.
Elephant has an audience rating of 7.8 out of 10.
Elephant had a budget of 3 mn US$.
Elephant has made 10 mn US$ at the box office.