In a Better World

Original title: Hævnen

2010
R
1h 58m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

42K

YOUR RATING

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.

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Tragedy Drama Romance

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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

42K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 14 wins & 24 nominations total

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

Christian
(as William Jøhnk Juel Nielsen)

Ulrich Thomsen

Claus

Elsebeth Steentoft

Signe

Satu Mikkelinen

Hanna
(as Satu Helena Mikkelinen)

Camilla Gottlieb

Simon Maagaard Holm

Sofus

Emil Nicolai Helms

Sofus' skolekammerat

Martin Buch

Niels

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Storyline

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Did you know

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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 reviews104

Review

Featured review

10/10

An astonishing achievement

Saw this in Toronto and it remained with me for days afterward. Shattering filmmaking! The size and elegance of a Hollywood big budget, with the honesty and challenge of an indy. The performances, especially those of the two boys, are riveting, but I was also impressed with the deep focus photography, the haunting score. Went to see this because I had so enjoyed After the Wedding - but feel this is even better. Only the ending conflict resolution is, perhaps, a little too easy-- but not unearned. And oh boy, was I grateful for it. I want to see this with my son, because I want him to experience the moral and emotional snake pit Bier and her screenwriter toss us into: every guy --no matter what age-- will get it, and none of us will like it very much. To me, Bier speaks about what it SHOULD mean to be a man. Is vengeance built into our genes? I hope not. And I hope this wins the Academy Award this year, and everybody in America goes to see it.