You, the Living

You, the Living is a Swedish absurdist comedy set in the city of Lethe, where a large cast of ordinary people drift through brief, deadpan scenes. Some moments last only seconds, none longer than a few minutes. A young woman fantasizes about a honeymoon with a rock guitarist who barely notices her; a psychiatrist admits he no longer treats his patients, only prescribes them strong medication; a driver dreams of being executed; a businessman brags while a pickpocket robs him. The film moves between these figures without a central plot, accompanied by Dixieland jazz and similar music, and mixes everyday frustration with bursts of surrealism.

Roy Andersson wrote and directed the film, which followed his Songs from the Second Floor in 2000 and preceded A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence in 2014 and About Endlessness in 2019. Philippe Bober and Pernilla Sandström produced it as a co-production between Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway, France and Japan. The cast includes Håkan Angser, Eric Bäckman, Patrik Anders Edgren, Björn Englund, Lennart Eriksson and Pär Fredriksson.

The film grossed about 2 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.4/10 from more than 17,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 7.1/10 from 267 votes. A critics' rating of 7.7/10 from 42 reviews places it slightly above both audience scores.