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In a Better World

Play trailer Poster for In a Better World R Released Apr 1, 2011 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
77% Tomatometer 119 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor who travels frequently between his home in Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. His domestic life is complicated by the fact that he and his wife, Marianne (Trine Dyrholm), are experiencing marital strife and his son, Elias (Markus Rygaard), is a victim of school bullying. When a new boy, whose mother recently died, moves to town and befriends Elias, it provides solace for both father and son. After a reckless act, however, things turn tragic.
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In a Better World

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Critics Consensus

In a Better World is a sumptuous melodrama that tackles some rather difficult existential and human themes.

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Mullen Sight & Sound An attempt to grapple with the nuances of good and evil and examine the limitations of virtue in the face of pure emotion Jul 9, 2018 Full Review Kimber Myers The Playlist There's little flash or surprise in Bier's latest well-shot film, but plenty of substance. Rated: B Aug 15, 2013 Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Bier's strength is storytelling and her ability to find actors to do those stories justice. Rated: 4/5 Aug 19, 2011 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) It is necessary to see it to feel it. [Full review in Spanish] Oct 6, 2022 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com An intelligent and thoughtful approach towards challenging issues. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 11, 2020 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Bier handles tricky emotional territory with great skill, creating a solid drama with the heart of a great thriller. Rated: 3/4 Aug 5, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ricardo W No encuentro manera de escudriñar este film sin remontarme a las disyuntivas planteadas por Thomas Hobbes en Leviatán, básicamente porque los dilemas éticos y filosóficos planteados en el film inevitablemente llevan al espectador a preguntarse si la civilización como concepto no es más que una utopía. No se presentan salidas fáciles, y si bien el guión es dirigido hacia un final aceptable o complaciente, lo cierto es que el film retrata realidades tan conflictivas y reales que la impresión general termina siendo una especie de sacudida espiritual, mental y emocional. Un grupo de personajes muy, muy bien hilados y estructurados nos muestran las múltiples caras de un mismo conflicto: ¿cómo llegar a un mundo mejor, si a veces la violencia parece la única salida? ¿Cómo aspirar a ser hombres justos en un mundo profunda y marcadamente injusto? ¿Es posible la justicia misma, si quienes la definen y aplican son tan humanos como los demás? ¿Es posible enseñar a un niño a ser civilizado y recto en un mundo donde no controlamos la mayoría de las variables? En fin, ¿"El hombre es el lobo del hombre" o "El hombre es la cosa sagrada del hombre"? La película en sí misma es extraordinaria, pues humaniza todos los dilemas mencionados en una trama bien planteada. Los personajes no son perfectos, tienen matices, y eso los hace profundamente conmovedores y cercanos al espectador. Si bien el guión puede parecer un poco manipulador, moralista, melodramático, o el final un poco obvio, es un film para reflexionar y discutir, y realmente creo que merece la pena verlo. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Cuenta P Just a great film with a human touch that makes It memorable. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/23 Full Review Georgan G This gripping thriller regarding two Danish boys keeps you on the edge of your seat. It was clear something terrible was going to happen as the tension builds. The acting, even of the boys, was so real it felt almost like a documentary. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/30/23 Full Review dave s Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning In A Better World deals with themes of injustice, self-imposed power and the retribution required to check that power. Centering around a warlord in a developing African country, a mechanic who deals with conflict through violence and a schoolyard bully, the characters in their immediate periphery struggle to come to terms with how they react to their oppressors. Despite a periodically over-dramatic tone and some inconsistency with style (sporadic jump cuts, sudden zooms, etc.), In A Better world effectively documents the universal problem of ‘eye for an eye' justice that most viewers will be able to relate to in one way or another. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Liam D A powerful story this drama is a underrated gem that should be rediscovered. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/20 Full Review Audience Member Criticism of its too-convenient plot developments and foreseeable melodrama are fair, but I thought it had genuine charm, nonetheless. The characters are mostly real, three-dimensional, and believable, and I appreciate a good story of people trying to navigate - or teach their kids - right and wrong in a complex world. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/20 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor who travels frequently between his home in Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. His domestic life is complicated by the fact that he and his wife, Marianne (Trine Dyrholm), are experiencing marital strife and his son, Elias (Markus Rygaard), is a victim of school bullying. When a new boy, whose mother recently died, moves to town and befriends Elias, it provides solace for both father and son. After a reckless act, however, things turn tragic.
Director
Susanne Bier
Producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen
Screenwriter
Anders Thomas Jensen
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Zentropa Entertainment
Rating
R (Language|Disturbing Content Inv Preteen|Violent Content Inv. Preteens)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Danish
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 1, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 4, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.0M
Runtime
1h 53m
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