A War

R

Released Feb 12, 2016

1 hr. 55 min.

War

Drama

TRAILER

for A War: Trailer 1

List

90%

96 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Danish commander (Pilou Asbæk) faces a courtroom trial after a judgment call leads to the deaths of 11 civilians during the war in Afghanistan.

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Critics Consensus

Tense, intelligent, and refreshingly low-key, A War is part frontline thriller, part courtroom drama -- and eminently effective in both regards.

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Steve C

Now I know that the only Danish word I understand without subtitles is the F-bomb.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

joseph j

Any combat veteran (choose your war) will find that this film wrestles with questions raised by people who have never been in a war zone and does so evenly, forcefully and skillfully . The nature of the prosecution's examination of the accused is surreal, comprised of words and phrases that are ultimately irrelevant. Tragic things happen in war. It's why war has such a bad reputation. Second guessing the men who were in this particular situation only echoes the second guessing every soldier does for the rest of his or her life. And overriding that is the question that echoes for every soldier in war--"Was there a legitimate reason for my country to send me there and for me to agree to go?" This film goes a long way toward highlighting the moral quandary. The portrayal of combat emphasizes the chaos and terror is realistic and stays with you.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

david l

Although structurally disparate, A War is a very thematically complex, intriguing film that explores so well the complexities of war crimes and the conflict between family duties and professional duties. The movie is also very well acted, well shot and particularly well directed by Tobias Lindholm, leading to a very strong foreign Oscar nominee.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

nilufer e

It was a pretty powerful drama about tough decisions in the line of fire. The family aspect and the war aspect were combined beautifully and I didn't lose interest the whole time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a much more reflective war story than many I've seen. It moves between the battlefield in Afghanistan and the family at home every so often to reinforce the human dimension and pressures that serving in a war brings. And when Claus returns home, those pressures increase and intensity. But at the centre of this story is the ethical dilemma faced by Claus. And the movie has the courage to allow the dilemma to be a "messy", grey one and the viewer is challenged to consider what the "right" answer would be for them. The acting is very good and realistic. The pace is slow but remains engaging and the directing is mostly good. I did feel that it was a bit clunky at times and the intensity could have been ramped up a bit but I guess that the understated nature of the story was to make it more realistic and keep us focused on the issues rather than distracting us with the typical high level action of a war film. Worth watching for the way in which it makes the viewer think about the realities of war and how easy it would be to make mistakes under pressure — if they are really mistakes. The ethical and moral dilemmas could, however, been explored in greater depth.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

andrew t

A THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND BEAUTIFULLY ACTED DEPICTION OF THE TENSION BETWEEN THE LAWLESSNESS OF WAR AND THE LEGAL DUTIES IMPOSED ON INDIVIDUAL SOLDIERS. A FASCINATING AND MOVING FILM.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Tobias Lindholm

Director

Pilou Asbæk

Claus Michael Pedersen

Søren Malling

Martin R. Olsen

Tuva Novotny

Maria Pedersen

Charlotte Munck

Kajsa Danning

Dar Salim

Najib Bisma

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A War: Trailer 1

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Cary Darling

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

The haunting and stark A War may be [Tobias Lindholm's] most striking and effective work yet

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 17, 2016

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

A quietly searing drama about morality, priorities, and absolute truth.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 3, 2016

Full Review

Matthew Lickona

San Diego Reader

Writer-director Tobias Lindholm's latest is a microcosmic and finely wrought war story in which everyone has their reasons.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 26, 2016

Full Review

Jordan Brooks

Vague Visages

More than a simple condemnation of war, of which there are plenty, A War seeks to deliver a thorough examination of human behavior.

Aug 1, 2023

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

The intent is purposeful, but the execution isn't entirely successful.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 12, 2021

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

A War is one of those "non-judgmental," "apolitical" films ... that is, in fact, thoroughly judgmental and political

Feb 26, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

A Danish commander (Pilou Asbæk) faces a courtroom trial after a judgment call leads to the deaths of 11 civilians during the war in Afghanistan.

Director: Tobias Lindholm
Executive Producer: Henrik Zein, Lena Haugaard, Ron Halpern, Olivier Courson
Screenwriter: Tobias Lindholm
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Nordisk Film
Rating: R (Some War-Related Images|Language)
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $121.6K

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