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In a Better World

Original title: Hævnen
  • 2010
  • 12
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
42K
YOUR RATING
In a Better World (2010)
While Anton (Persbrandt) and Marianne (Dyrholm) contemplate divorce, their bullied son Elias (Rygaard) forms a bond with a new student that puts him in potential danger.
Play trailer2:02
1 Video
99+ Photos
TragedyDramaRomance

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

  • Director
    • Susanne Bier
  • Writers
    • Anders Thomas Jensen
    • Susanne Bier
    • Per Nielsen
  • Stars
    • Mikael Persbrandt
    • Trine Dyrholm
    • Markus Rygaard
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    42K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Susanne Bier
    • Writers
      • Anders Thomas Jensen
      • Susanne Bier
      • Per Nielsen
    • Stars
      • Mikael Persbrandt
      • Trine Dyrholm
      • Markus Rygaard
    • 105User reviews
    • 208Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 24 nominations total

    Videos1

    In a Better World
    Trailer 2:02
    In a Better World

    Photos306

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    Top cast45

    Edit
    Mikael Persbrandt
    Mikael Persbrandt
    • Anton
    Trine Dyrholm
    Trine Dyrholm
    • Marianne
    Markus Rygaard
    Markus Rygaard
    • Elias
    Wil Johnson
    Wil Johnson
    • Najeeb
    • (as Will Johnson)
    Eddy Kimani
    • Patient
    • (as Eddie Kimani)
    Emily Mulaya
    • Sygeplejerske
    Gabriel Muli
    • Læge
    June Waweru
    • Sygeplejerske
    Mary Ndoku Mbai
    • Patient
    • (as Mary Nduku Mbai)
    Dynah Bereket
    • Gammel dame
    William Jøhnk Nielsen
    William Jøhnk Nielsen
    • Christian
    • (as William Jøhnk Juel Nielsen)
    Ulrich Thomsen
    Ulrich Thomsen
    • Claus
    Elsebeth Steentoft
    • Signe
    Satu Mikkelinen
    Satu Mikkelinen
    • Hanna
    • (as Satu Helena Mikkelinen)
    Camilla Gottlieb
    Camilla Gottlieb
    • Eva
    Simon Maagaard Holm
    • Sofus
    Emil Nicolai Helms
    • Sofus' skolekammerat
    Martin Buch
    • Niels
    • Director
      • Susanne Bier
    • Writers
      • Anders Thomas Jensen
      • Susanne Bier
      • Per Nielsen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Danish title 'Hævnen' translates into English as 'Revenge'. Susanne Bier mentioned that she prefers the English title 'In a Better World' which emphasizes the hopefulness of the film while the Danish title emphasizes the severeness of the film (at 1:52:49 in the Blu-ray director's commentary).
    • Goofs
      When Anton (Michael Persbrant) performs his first surgery he scratches his head/corrects the position of his mask after having put on sterile gloves (at around 42 mins) thereby contaminating them and risking that the patient gets infected. A real surgeon would never do this, and if she or he did, she or he would change gloves.
    • Quotes

      Anton: Sometimes it feels like there is a veil between you and death, but that veil disappears when you lose someone you loved or someone who was close to you, and you see death clearly, for a second, but later the veil returns, and you carry on living. Then things will be alright again.

    • Connections
      Featured in DR2 Premiere: Episode #4.1 (2010)

    User reviews105

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10

    The problem of vengeance

    Is there any subject more mistreated in movies than retaliation? No, I don't think so. There's a dishonourable and long history about it and calling some of the stuff redneck and primitive is being unfair to the whole redneck movement.

    Susanna Bier puts other dimensions to it. The boy being bullied at school is also an old subject, but here the real painful questions about so called pay-back are thrown in our faces. A revenge is seldom just a revenge; it brings other consequences too. That sounds like a cliché, but Susanne Bier says it in a way which concerns us. Like vengeance movies seldom do.

    Great performance by Mikael Persbrandt, well known for misusing his talent too many times. But not here.
    • stensson
    • Oct 6, 2010
    • Permalink

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    FAQ20

    • How long is In a Better World?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 7, 2011 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Denmark
      • Sweden
      • Belgium
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (France)
    • Languages
      • Danish
      • Swedish
      • English
      • Arabic
    • Also known as
      • Julius
    • Filming locations
      • Kenya
    • Production companies
      • Danmarks Radio (DR)
      • Det Danske Filminstitut
      • Film i Väst
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,008,098
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $33,058
      • Apr 3, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,004,504
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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