The Promised Land

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2:02

The Promised Land

R

2024

2h 7m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

131 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.

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Critics Consensus

Mads Mikkelson leads us through the savage terrain of The Promised Land with a glimmer of hope in this epic Nordic tale with Western bones.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

There are times in the impressive Danish historical drama The Promised Land where Dr Lecter peeks from the eyes of the main character...

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 27, 2024

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

The anti-immigrant and Romani sentiment expressed by Danes in 1755, although tinged with superstition, sounds eerily familiar. Mostly, though, The Promised Land, in common with its hero, ploughs a furrow as a rough-hewn costumed adventure.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 24, 2024

Full Review

Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

The only problem here is that the whole ends up feeling a bit didactic and leaning towards the narrative style of Hollywood simplicity, yet does not take away from the power of a film that definitely deserves to be seen. [Full review in Spanish]

Feb 20, 2024

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

This is clearly a high budget, professional production, the kind of thing Hollywood used to more regularly churn out for grown mainstream audiences who liked a little bit of class with their popcorn.

Sep 10, 2025

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Maxance Vincent

Film Speak

Arcel gives The Promised Land enough time to develop its characters inside a richly-developed and striking world, filled with evocative images from cinematographer Rasmus Videbæk, that immediately recall Sergio Leone’s tableaux of the West.

Rated: A

Jul 14, 2025

Full Review

Leonardo Garcia Tsao

La Jornada

The story is conventional, but at no time does it give off the stench of the old-fashioned. [Full review in Spanish]

Feb 10, 2025

Full Review

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Gray S

Fantastic, evocative, timely story, beautifully told.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/24

Full Review

Janis

Great story and actors. Very sad story but realistic about life in the 1700s . Written well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Roger B

Great movie. Best I've seen in a while. Heart wrenching and evocative. Well worth the watch. Glad I stumbled upon it,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

Full Review

Jeff E

Easily one of the best movies of 2024.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

Mara D

This is one of the best movies I've seen in ages, an epic tale with historic significance. It is beautifully filmed, meticulously acted and directed, and a true beauty of filmmaking. The characters and the plot are constantly moving at a good pace. I wish more movies of this type were being filmed these days.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

Full Review

Justin S

Brutal to watch at times, but utterly superb.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

Full Review

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Nikolaj Arcel

Director

Mads Mikkelsen

Ludvig Kahlen

Amanda Collin

Ann Barbara

Gustav Lindh

Anton Eklund

Melina Hagberg

Actor

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Edel Helene

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The Promised Land: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Producer: Louise Vesth
Screenwriter: Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Zentropa Entertainment
Rating: R (Brief Nudity|Bloody Violence|Language|Some Sexuality)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $256.3K
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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