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Melancholia

Play trailer Poster for Melancholia R 2011 2h 15m Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 210 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
As a planet hurtles toward a collision course with Earth, two sisters (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg) cope with the approaching doomsday in different ways.
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Melancholia

Melancholia

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Critics Consensus

Melancholia's dramatic tricks are more obvious than they should be, but this is otherwise a showcase for Kirsten Dunst's acting and for Lars von Trier's profound, visceral vision of depression and destruction.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Reihani Bitch Media 01/09/2021
A strangely apt visual representation of depression. Go to Full Review
Amy Taubin Film Comment Magazine 08/27/2019
Von Trier creates a blackly comic delirium that is terrifying and completely exhilarating. Go to Full Review
Lisa Rosman IndieWire 11/07/2016
In Melancholia, von Trier has created a mission statement of a masterpiece, one that reminds us that nihilism itself can serve as a legitimate form of creation, a means as well as The End. Go to Full Review
Joe Flockhart Loud and Clear Reviews 1d
4/5
Its critics are quick to call it ‘slow’, ‘boring’ and ‘self-indulgent’ but I found it enthralling. The performances are outstanding and its depiction of depression is almost unprecedented in cinema in its rawness. Go to Full Review
Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 9
5/5
Truly a masterpiece, thanks to its performances and direction, as von Trier delivers a powerful metaphor for depression that is all too relatable. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Jul 20
2/5
"Melancholia" can't help but cause disconnect. Science-fiction mixed with a very random society wedding just don't mix. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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George W @georgeblaise 6h A fairly good film with one of the most laugh out-loud hysterically funny endings in the history of cinema. I doubt it was intended to be amusing but the ending is hilarious. See more Gregory N @GregoryMN 1d Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg are luminescent, but not the characters they play. If the world ends and takes the whiny Justine with it, then there's something positive about the ending. Needless to say, it all must be some sort of metaphor, because the science is impossible. "Sometimes, I just hate you so much, Justine." See more Joseph G @LicenseToChivalry007 4d Let's be clear, this is a quintessential Lars von Trier film. It's a niche film meant for an audience who appreciates films like this. I am one of those people, but this film is still a must-see. Kirsten Dunst's performance in Melancholia was the key to the movie's success. Her portrayal of Justine, a depressed, grieving bride who, while at times a mess and dependent on the approval of others. Surrounded by a stern mother and a womanizing father, Justine searches for meaning and purpose while the world around her slowly unravels. Dunst never misses a beat, and her quiet self-awareness in the face of impending doom deepens the character’s development. She’s flawed and fragile, but those are often the most memorable characters. See more Greg F. @GregAF Feb 21 This is a love it or hate it movie. If I tried to explain it to someone it would not make any sense. The acting is fantastic. I think the movie is a little longer than it, maybe, needs to be. I find myself wanting to criticize this movie but I can’t without telling you about it but it wont make sense and I don’t want to discourage anyone from watching it because you might like it. If you’re into dramatic and non traditional films this is one you might like. See more jerry s Jan 3 I saw this movie a while back. Halfway through I was screaming at the screen at the POS. By the time the movie ended, I thought it was genius. Just rewatched. Either you give it a zero, or five stars, nothing in between. I'm going with genius. See what you think See more Francis S Nov 17 It really, really wants to be profound. It really isn't. Melancholia is an unimaginative and mean spirited play where nothing happens. The film's main plot revolves around the end of the world, and yet, the writer has nothing of value to convey or tell us about it. You would think such a big plot could bring out the best in a writer and in his characters but no. At the end we are left with some pretty shots of the beautiful Kirsten Dunst under the Moon that lack any deeper meaning or symbolism, and that's about it. When a writer has nothing good to say, he writes something like Melancholia. See more Read all reviews
Melancholia

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Movie Info

Synopsis As a planet hurtles toward a collision course with Earth, two sisters (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg) cope with the approaching doomsday in different ways.
Director
Lars von Trier
Producer
Meta Louise Foldager, Louise Vesth
Screenwriter
Lars von Trier
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Slot Machine, Zentropa Entertainment, Zentropa Entertainment France, Liberator Productions, Memfis Film AB, Film i Väst, arte France Cinéma, DR
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Graphic Nudity)
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 11, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 13, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.0M
Runtime
2h 15m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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