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Play

  • 2011
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
Play (2011)
Trailer for Play
Play trailer1:25
1 Video
10 Photos
Drama

An astute observation based on real cases of bullying. In central Gothenburg, Sweden, a group of boys, aged 12-14, robbed other children on about 40 occasions between 2006 and 2008. The thie... Read allAn astute observation based on real cases of bullying. In central Gothenburg, Sweden, a group of boys, aged 12-14, robbed other children on about 40 occasions between 2006 and 2008. The thieves used an elaborate scheme called the 'little brother number' or 'brother trick', involv... Read allAn astute observation based on real cases of bullying. In central Gothenburg, Sweden, a group of boys, aged 12-14, robbed other children on about 40 occasions between 2006 and 2008. The thieves used an elaborate scheme called the 'little brother number' or 'brother trick', involving advanced role-play and gang rhetoric rather than physical violence.

  • Director
    • Ruben Östlund
  • Writers
    • Erik Hemmendorff
    • Ruben Östlund
  • Stars
    • Anas Abdirahman
    • Sebastian Blyckert
    • Yannick Diakité
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    5.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ruben Östlund
    • Writers
      • Erik Hemmendorff
      • Ruben Östlund
    • Stars
      • Anas Abdirahman
      • Sebastian Blyckert
      • Yannick Diakité
    • 18User reviews
    • 51Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 13 nominations

    Videos1

    Play
    Trailer 1:25
    Watch Play

    Photos10

    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)
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    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)
    Play (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Anas Abdirahman
    • Anas
    Sebastian Blyckert
    • Sebastian
    Yannick Diakité
    • Yannick
    Sebastian Hegmar
    • Alex
    Abdiaziz Hilowle
    • Abdi
    Nana Manu
    Nana Manu
    • Nana
    John Ortiz
    • John
    Kevin Vaz
    • Kevin
    Jacob Ottander
    • Pojke i köpcenter
    Herman Troeng
    • Pojke i köpcenter
    Tobias Åkesson
    • Tågvärd
    Peggy Johansson
    • Tågvärd
    Humberto Guandinango Espinosa
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    Luis Alonso Tuquerez
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    José Jaime
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    Patricio Cotacachi
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    Rodrigo Cotacachi
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    Alfredo Cahuasqui
    • Panflöjtsbandet
    • Director
      • Ruben Östlund
    • Writers
      • Erik Hemmendorff
      • Ruben Östlund
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Lena Andersson of Dagens Nyheter argued that both class and race are secondary in the film; that it rather captures the universally human abuse of power, and that it is provoking because it allows the audience neither to put blame on someone else nor to feel guilty about itself in an easily recognisable way. Andersson wrote: "What's troublesome with Östlund's film is that it holds up a mirror, for once not for the white to mirror its predominance in, but for the oppressed to see that he is capable to oppress. This burdens both parties. ... The perception of 'the other' follows the same mechanisms whatever the name of the group is and doesn't become prettier because the group suffers or has suffered."
    • Soundtracks
      The Entertainer
      Written by Scott Joplin

      Performed by John Ortiz

    User reviews18

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Atypical, but dullish and excessively documentary
    Liberal upbringing, indifference in society, uncontrolled immigration from different continents, worship of fine goods - and so there are issues depicted in the film in question, mostly characteristic to Western societies. As children and teens are among most vulnerable strata, the topics mentioned above are reflected in an intensified and crooked manner. - for them, attempts for self-determination and acts of bullying are often intertwined.

    Play is focused on one incident, but similar rackets occur and have occurred for decades, thus it is not astonishing or so; moreover, it is no secret that immigrant youth is more criminogenic than local one - it is nothing to do with racism, those evildoers could have easily come from the Balkans or Eastern Europe - by way of example of Sweden where youth gangs organized by race or ethnicity have become a serious issue in big cities.

    Anyway, the depiction here is protracted and arid, some scenes are lacking reason, and the ending is numb. The cast is not impressive either, I would not recognize most of them in case I see them in other movies.

    Thus, a mediocre movie to me, but it would be probably educational for families with children in multi-ethnic communities.
    helpful•18
    46
    • BeneCumb
    • Apr 5, 2013

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 11, 2011 (Sweden)
    • Countries of origin
      • Sweden
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Swedish
    • Also known as
      • Igra
    • Filming locations
      • Goteborg, Sweden(location)
    • Production companies
      • Coproduction Office
      • Coproduction Office
      • Film i Väst
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $103,990
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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