Force majeure

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Force majeure

R

Released Oct 24, 2014

2h 0m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

162 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A man's selfish reaction to the danger posed by an avalanche causes cracks in his marriage and relationships with his children.

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Critics Consensus

Gleefully uncomfortable, Force Majeure is a relationship drama that's hard to watch -- and just as difficult to ignore.

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Nick Schager

Esquire Magazine

Rarely has a film taken men to the woodshed for their failings with such a mix of disgust, pity, and wit, the last of which is the key ingredient that helps make Force Majeure such a unique high-wire balancing act.

Oct 17, 2018

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

If anything undermines this knowing comedy of manners, it is the sense that it prides itself on being a knowing comedy of manners.

Apr 21, 2015

Full Review

Jonathan Romney

Observer (UK)

The acting is impeccably controlled, with leads Kuhnke and Kongsli sympathetically establishing the genteel, only slightly self-satisfied blandness of their characters, then tracing the cracks that spread in their makeup.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 12, 2015

Full Review

Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

Östlund - with his usual narrative talent and ability to unsettle - questions the place of a man as the protector of his family in a film that's perhaps a little less provocative than his previous work. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

The movie doesn’t criticize the idea that Tomas has to be a hero to be a man. Rather it criticizes him for not being a hero and recuperates him by allowing him to be heroic.

May 19, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Östlund doesn’t judge. He’s more interested in questioning the expectations and obligations and starting a discussion that audiences can carry on after the film ends.

Mar 4, 2023

Full Review

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Marco L

Una familia aparentemente perfecta se enfrenta a una situación extrema que pone a prueba sus lazos y sus valores. Un acto instintivo e inesperado por parte del padre desata una serie de tensiones emocionales que afectan profundamente la dinámica familiar. La película explora con maestría temas como el egoísmo, la fragilidad de las relaciones y el choque entre las expectativas sociales y los impulsos humanos. Con una dirección sobria y escenas visualmente impactantes, el relato se siente incómodamente real. Una obra que obliga al espectador a reflexionar sobre cómo reaccionaríamos ante lo inesperado. Una de las grandes películas de 2014, las relaciones familiares, las relaciones personales, todo, a debate.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

Full Review

julie b

This was a clever, tense, and funny exploration of gender roles and a portrait of a man unravelling. The score is magnificent, all the performances are on point (Ebba is excellent), + it’s got epic meltdown scenes and beautiful shots of the alps.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

Full Review

Dimitris T

Using a single dramatic scene as its starting point, this movie uses some ingenious, realistic, spontaneous-looking acting with small passive aggressive behaviors, innuendos and other tiny moments of tension to construct the relational crisis within a typical family of four.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

Full Review

Cam H

Watch out for falling…well, everything

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/31/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I get the message but, come one, not enough.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/08/24

Full Review

Ay D

Not a thriller in the traditional sense, but tense nonetheless. Unclear whether Tomas' chance at a heroic redemption was planned or real, but I guess that's partly the point. Could have been shorter than 2 hours but still worth the watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/24

Full Review

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Ruben Östlund

Director

Johannes Kuhnke

Tomas

Lisa Loven Kongsli

Ebba

Clara Wettergren

Vera

Vincent Wettergren

Harry

Kristofer Hivju

Mats

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Synopsis

A man's selfish reaction to the danger posed by an avalanche causes cracks in his marriage and relationships with his children.

Director: Ruben Östlund
Producer: Erik Hemmendorff, Marie Kjellson, Philippe Bober
Screenwriter: Ruben Östlund
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Coproduction Office ApS, Plattform Produktion AB, Film i Väst, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Motlys, Parisienne
Rating: R (Some Language|Brief Nudity)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.4M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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