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Stockholm is a movie based on a true story, set in the year 1973 in Stockholm, Sweden. The plot revolves around a bank robbery that resulted in a six-day hostage situation that gained international attention. The film stars Ethan Hawke as the thief Lars Nystrom, Noomi Rapace as Bianca Lind, who Nystrom takes hostage, and Mark Strong as the Swedish police officer who tries to negotiate her release.

The movie opens with Lars' robbery of the Kreditbanken in Stockholm. It's clear that Lars is not a typical bank robber as he apologizes to the bank employees and even buys one of them a new pair of shoes. He then takes Bianca, a customer, hostage and puts her in a bank vault. It's at this point that the tension between the two characters begins to build.

Throughout the movie, we see Lars and Bianca develop a complicated relationship. Despite the fact that Lars is holding her captive, they begin to form a bond. In fact, it's Bianca who begins to sympathize with Lars and even defends him to the police negotiators. The viewer is left wondering if she's developed Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological phenomenon where hostages develop feelings of trust, affection or even love towards their kidnapper.

Mark Strong's character, Chief Mattsson, is the negotiator trying to get Bianca out of the bank safely, without further harm to her or her captors. Chief Mattsson attempts to appeal to Nystrom's humanity while keeping the situation from escalating. He's a skilled and experienced negotiator, but his attempts to reason with the thieves are complicated by their erratic behavior, as they demand the release of a fellow inmate in exchange for ending the hostage situation. This inmate is someone Lars has never met and who may not even exist.

The movie is well-acted, and the tension keeps you on the edge of your seat. Ethan Hawke delivers an excellent performance as the robber with a conscience, and Noomi Rapace is equally strong as the victim who seems to understand him. The dynamic between the two leads is a highlight of the movie, and they play off each other well.

The film's cinematography is excellent as well, featuring the bright day-lit clean lines of Stockholm and the cramped, grimy bank whose walls close in on the characters. The setting in the late 1970s, is well recreated, as seen in the clothing, the hairstyles, and the general mood of the movie. The soundtrack, featuring songs from the era, is also effective in transporting the viewer to that time.

The movie also touches on the media's impact on situations like these. Throughout the movie, journalists are shown reporting on the situation, with some of them becoming emotionally involved in the story. Chief Mattsson and the police force confront the media's influence, as they struggle to keep the situation under control while ensuring that the hostage situation ends with minimal bloodshed.

Overall, Stockholm is a well-executed movie that captures the real-life events that unfolded in Stockholm, Sweden. It's a tense and thrilling thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The film is a character-driven analysis of what can happen when people are pushed to their limits and the bond that sometimes develops between captor and captive in situations like this. Whether it's the believable performances or the direction, everything comes together to make Stockholm a solid movie that will leave you thinking and questioning the complexities of the human psyche.

Stockholm is a 2019 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1 and a MetaScore of 54.