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In a Better World

Original title: Hævnen
  • 2010
  • R
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
41K
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
DramaRomance

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, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    41K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Susanne Bier
    • Writers
      • Anders Thomas Jensen
      • Susanne Bier
      • Per Nielsen
    • Stars
      • Mikael Persbrandt
      • Trine Dyrholm
      • Markus Rygaard
    • 105User reviews
    • 207Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 24 nominations total

    Videos1

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

    Photos304

    Trine Dyrholm in In a Better World (2010)
    Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Mikael Persbrandt in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Birthe Neumann in In a Better World (2010)
    Mikael Persbrandt, Toke Lars Bjarke, Markus Rygaard, and William Jøhnk Nielsen in In a Better World (2010)
    Mikael Persbrandt in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Ulrich Thomsen in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Markus Rygaard in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Mikael Persbrandt in In a Better World (2010)
    Trine Dyrholm and Mikael Persbrandt in In a Better World (2010)
    Ulrich Thomsen and William Jøhnk Nielsen in In a Better World (2010)

    Top cast

    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
    7/10
    In a better movie...
    'IN A BETTER WORLD': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

    This Danish drama won Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards (as well as the 2011 Golden Globe). It deals with violence in Denmark among children when two ten year olds meet at school and form an unhealthy alliance against bullies. The film was titled 'Haevnen' in Danish which means 'The Revenge'. It was directed by Susanne Bier and written by Anders Thomas Jensen. It stars Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt (and some of the film is spoken in Swedish, as well as English) as well as Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, William Johnk Nielsen and Markus Rygaard. I found the film interesting and well made but not nearly as good as all the critical acclaim and accolades it's gotten.

    The film focuses on a boy named Elias (Rygaard) who is constantly picked on and abused by bullies at his school in Denmark. His father, Anton (Persbrandt), is a doctor who works at a refugee camp in Africa and is constantly commuting back and forth. Anton and Elias's mother, Marianne (Dyrholm), have not been getting along and are contemplating a divorce. Elias's younger brother has not been effected by this as much as he has but his parent's problems combined with the bullying at school has caused a lot of emotional problems for Elias. When a new kid named Christian (Nielsen) moves to town with his father, Claus (Thomsen), from London Elias finally finds a good friend and someone he can relate to. Christian, having just lost his mother to cancer, has psychological issues of his own and is eager to help Elias with his problems. They first get revenge on the main bully picking on Elias at school in a somewhat brutal way but when Anton is assaulted by another father their ideas for revenge turn much more dangerous.

    I could really relate to the outcast elements of the film and the issues of dealing with bullying and finding that one friend you can really relate to but I didn't understand the depression issues that pushed the kids towards violence so easily. I've read that's part of the film's point, exploring "how little it takes before a child - or an adult - thinks something is deeply unjust" (as said by Bier herself, according to Wikipedia). In that way the film works but I couldn't really find it relatable. For a film to really work for me it has to strike certain emotions and I have to connect with it in some kind of way (either emotionally or on a pure entertainment level) and this film didn't do that for me (as well made as it is). The acting, directing and writing are all more than adequate but in my opinion it's far from a great film.

    Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUMkZYiXwNQ
    helpful•21
    13
    • Hellmant
    • Sep 15, 2011

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 26, 2010 (Denmark)
    • Countries of origin
      • Denmark
      • Sweden
    • 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

    Technical specs

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

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