LA-based filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli writes and directs this unnerving yet achingly humorous music video for Norwegian band Softcore untd. Borgli, who is known for satirical and off-kilter treatments for short films and commercials, combines light horror with romantic comedy in a narrative project that exposes the psychological warfare of modern dating. 

Podcast host and comedian Greta Titelman gives a stellar performance as an unhinged woman who is obsessed with the music of Softcore untd but refuses to play any songs for her guest. Borgli manages to exacerbate the nervous tension naturally felt between couples on a first date by making everything about Titelman and her home unsettling—from the antique doll’s head in the corner of the lounge to her frightening appearance in a fencing mask and bloodied nose. 

“I remember getting obsessed with Softcore Untd and wanting to share their music with a romantic prospect—an American,” says Borgli, who was born and raised in a small town just outside of Norway’s capital city. “But I felt so self-conscious about it because she didn’t speak Norwegian. The idea for the film was inspired by that moment, but taken to the extreme.”

Softcore untd’s debut album is out on 27 March 2020 on Cascine Records