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The Celebration

Play trailer Poster for The Celebration R 1998 1h 45m Drama Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A dark secret mars a Dane's (Henning Moritzen) 60th birthday celebration, attended by his family (Ulrich Thomsen, Thomas Bo Larsen) and friends.
The Celebration

What to Know

Critics Consensus

As sharp and ruthless as the family dynamic that powers its plot, The Celebration blends tragedy and comedy to brilliant effect.

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Critics Reviews

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Caroline Rees Empire Magazine There's no denying that some of the Dogme strictures inject urgency and surprise into what could have been a tediously static affair. Rated: 3/5 Sep 22, 2020 Full Review Paul Tatara CNN.com I'll be thinking about this movie for a long time to come. Sep 22, 2020 Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly A funny, volatile, visually dynamic story about the unraveling of one extended family during the course of a patriarchal 60th-birthday dinner. Rated: A- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse Vinterberg’s dedication to the tenets of Dogma 95 creates an endlessly manic air to the party’s fraying niceties...until their secrets, anxieties, and wholly animalistic natural tendencies are all laid bare. Jul 12, 2025 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film Vinterberg is able to work with the shocking claim and the farce of familial gatherings and personal faults in one of the more refreshing movies of the time. Feb 22, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The Celebration transcends the movement, even while its narrative exists in symbolic, dramatic harmony with Dogme 95's attitude toward cinematic conventions. Rated: 4/4 Feb 12, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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acsdoug D this movie took a turn into some unexpected territory. It's not your normal "dysfunctional family" movie, which is probably why I liked it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/21/25 Full Review Roger H Pretty amazing movie! The Dogma 95 approach made everything feel alive and real, making me realize how much traditional mainstream films warp what you see into something that barely approaches what you experience in real life. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/25 Full Review Dennui S Dogma #1, my favorite. A son rips the band aid off on his family's abuse and trauma at a multi-day family reunion for his father's birthday. Excellent performances from some great Danish actors. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/15/25 Full Review Ava S The Celebration is a tough watch, full of gaslighting characters, toxic family dynamics, and bombshell secrets; yet, its chaotic descent into drama is what makes the film so intriguing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/12/25 Full Review Vítor Pimentel de Oliveira V The inauguration of the Dogma 95 movement, this movie it's a punch in your stomach that somehow gets undermined by its frantic approach. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/23/25 Full Review Dani G An example that good filmmaking doesn't need big budgets or incredible visuals to be great. One of the most representative films of Dogma 95 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/29/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Celebration

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Movie Info

Synopsis A dark secret mars a Dane's (Henning Moritzen) 60th birthday celebration, attended by his family (Ulrich Thomsen, Thomas Bo Larsen) and friends.
Director
Thomas Vinterberg
Producer
Birgitte Hald
Screenwriter
Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov
Distributor
October Films
Production Co
Nimbus Film, SVT Drama, Nordisk Film & TV-Fond, Danmarks Radio
Rating
R (References to Sexual Abuse|Language|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Original Language
Danish
Release Date (Theaters)
May 2, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)