A strong performance by rising star Malin Crepin and some hot sex scenes lift “In Your Veins” slightly above the average junkie drama. While this downbeat feature debut by Swedish helmer Beata Gardeler, based on a bestselling novel, doesn’t always make credible the story of a twentysomething heroin addict who falls for a naive cop, it certainly makes it sensual. The model-like good looks of both leads may defy story logic, but contribute substantially to the pic’s small supply of visual pleasure. “Veins” is slated to open domestically in March; best bets for export are in ancillary.
While working as a Stockholm security guard, Eva (Crepin) customizes a “heroin timetable” so she can shoot up during her rounds and then sleep it off. But after she meets policeman Erik (Joel Kinnaman, whose thesping wouldn’t be out of place in a soap opera), and starts sharing his bed, her carefully structured life starts to fall apart. Scenes of the two passionately exploring each other’s bodies are more fun to watch than Eva’s inevitable overdose and painful attempts at detox. Composed mostly of closeups, shadowy, nighttime lensing leads a TV-friendly tech package.
