Viljar Bøe, the mind behind the twisted cult hit Good Boy, digs deeper into the darkest corners of the human psyche with Above the Knee — a raw, unsettling plunge into the disturbing world of Body Integrity Dysphoria. The film will hit UK digital platforms this September, following its UK premiere at FrightFest on 25 August 2025.
The film follows Amir, whose seemingly perfect life with his girlfriend masks a haunting secret: since childhood, he’s felt his left leg is not truly his own. Plagued by vivid visions of a rotting limb demanding amputation, Amir becomes obsessed with freeing himself from this alien body part—no matter the cost.
Exploring the rarely depicted condition Body Integrity Dysphoria, Above the Knee blends psychological thriller tension with visceral body horror. Director Viljar Bøe explains his motivation:
“When I first started making this film and heard about Body Integrity Dysphoria I felt that this was a concept ripe for a great body horror and psychological thriller. But when I read more first-hand accounts by people who claimed to have this diagnosis I started to really feel for these people, especially considering how other people reacted to their stories, which was often with disgust. It must be lonely having a diagnosis that most people won’t accept, especially if that is how they truly feel.”
Bøe’s approach flips the voyeuristic lens of his previous work Good Boy. Instead, Above the Knee is entirely filtered through Amir’s perspective: “Everything he sees, feels or thinks is all the information. Above the Knee does not seek to judge the actions of Amir or the characters around him. While there’s certainly a lot of psychological thriller and body horror elements (it’s a genre film after all), I do hope that it’s a film that’ll spark conversations and maybe challenge people’s preconceived notions when initially hearing about this diagnosis.”
Starring Freddy Singh as Amir, alongside Julie Abrahamsen, Louise Waage Anda, and Viggo Solomon, Above the Knee promises a gripping, unsettling exploration of identity, alienation, and obsession.
The film will have its UK premiere at FrightFest on 25 August 2025, ahead of its digital release across the UK and Ireland on 9 September 2025.
