In a Better World

For me, great, maybe because it’s my first movie by Susanne Bier (looking at the complaints, she’s pretty repetitive). At first, it might look like festival-bait that wants to be deep but only repeats well known simple truths and pieces of wisdom (and the picturesque landscape shots support that), but it gradually turns out that all the motifs really fit together somehow and the film never drowns in its own ambitions or degrades with excessive literality. (12/16/2013)

I have to admit, this film really surprised me, and I won’t spoil why. When I see a film come out of Denmark, I usually expect a powerful, emotional, brutal, and incredibly realistic story about life. And while this movie definitely delivered on all those fronts, it also managed to be something different, which is where its true strength lies. By the end, nothing feels certain, yet the idea of a "better world" still lingers. Susanne Bier is an incredible director. I find her films consistently impressive—ones I often can’t resist giving five stars to. The director's surname sparked the idea to pour myself a beer after the movie, though the story gave it a bitter taste in my mouth. This movie makes you think about some of life’s most fundamental questions, and it does so in a way that really sticks with you. (03/05/2012)

A compelling drama in which the painful stories of their families intersect through the friendship of two boys. I like Susanne Bier's work very much and she didn't disappoint me with this film either. In a Better World deals with eternal themes such as guilt and forgiveness, whether to respond to violence and bullying in the same way or to rise above it and accept the blow that life deals us... The events surrounding the teenage boys in Denmark are interspersed with events related to a war conflict somewhere in Africa, where the father of one of the boys travels as a doctor to rescue victims of the brutal clashes. Here also arises the inevitable question of whether to heal every wounded person or to leave those who commit great atrocities to their fate. An important part of the film is also the excellently chosen musical accompaniment, which further intensifies the tension of some situations and highlights emotions elsewhere. (04/07/2020)

Would it be possible next time to make a better world without glycerine tears, curt behaviour of the characters (which the screenwriter “assigns” or temporarily “withdraws” based solely on which extreme emotion is needed on the screen at the moment), mechanically accurate timing of dramatic situations (an explosion, a suicide attempt) and kitschy landscape shots and slow-motion scenes of fleeing Africans? 50% (03/05/2012)

I avoided the film for two years, but today I can say that it was in vain. Once again Scandinavia did not disappoint, serving up a steamy thriller about bullying intertwined with a gritty war in Africa, and both lines work perfectly. I liked the child actors and their fathers, there are some uncomfortable gritty scenes and I had a great time throughout, so satisfaction. A solid film in all respects. Very pleased with Ulrich Thomsen from Banshee. 80% (03/09/2018)