Adam's Apples (Adams æbler) (2005)

69% of critics liked it
(35 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(7,794 ratings)

An overly-optimistic preacher with a penchant for taking in lost causes to help around his remote church finds his rose-tinted view of the world challenged by a psychotic neo-Nazi he is trying to reform in this jet black comedy from Green Butchers screenwriter/director Anders Thomas Jensen. Vicar… More An overly-optimistic preacher with a penchant for taking in lost causes to help around his remote church finds his rose-tinted view of the world challenged by a psychotic neo-Nazi he is trying to reform in this jet black comedy from Green Butchers screenwriter/director Anders Thomas Jensen. Vicar Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen) prides himself on his efforts to help those in need by offering them a variety of odd jobs around the church and spreading the good word. After "adopting" a violent Saudi immigrant and a drunken tennis pro with a history of sexual assault, Ivan is approached by Adam (Ulrich Thomsen) -- a decidedly non-reformed neo-Nazi planning to lie low in the countryside for a spell before returning to the city to once again wreak havoc. When Ivan inquires as to what his new charge's goal will be during his stay in the countryside, the snide hooligan sarcastically states that he would like to bake a cake -- a response which prompts the gullible Ivan to place him in charge of the church's cherished apple tree. As ravens immediately descend upon the tree, Ivan concludes that Satan is attempting to prevent Adam from realizing his true potential. Meanwhile, Adam takes it upon himself to give the cheery clergyman a crash course in the harsh realities of life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen
Written By: Anders Thomas Jensen
Genres: Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 16, 2007 Limited
On DVD: Jan 8, 2008
Studio: Outsider Pictures

Critic Reviews

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
This oddball story is more than a one-joke concept. Its characters are sometimes cruel, sometimes sweet, but always recognizably human.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Jensen is an accomplished screenwriter with a knack for developing people amid comic nonsense.
Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times
The movie is all surface, loudly clamoring for attention and then losing its voice.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Its screenplay attempts to blend outrageous black humor with biblical allegory in an ultimately unsuccessful fashion.
Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
Smart-aleck comedy and spirituality aren't incompatible, but in Adam's Apples they cancel each other out.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
I'm sure there's a decent black comedy in the material, but Adam's Apples, by Danish director Anders Thomas Jensen, isn't it.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Winner of 14 different awards, it comes from the gifted Anders Thomas Jensen, who excels in black comedy
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
A film that asks us to have a pretty high tolerance of easy stereotypes and most of its comedy comes because you're not sure what else to do but laugh. When the ironic reversal kicks in, the film turns semi-serious and gets, if anything, a little boring.
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide
The actors play this darkly funny material as if they are in a deadly serious Shakespearean drama, highlighting the situation's many absurdities
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
Horis na dokimazei Dogma-tika tis antohes soy, den einai liges oi fores poy tis apsifa paizontas me to rythmo, eno i halari ploki einai profanes oti den endiaferetai kai idiaitera na soy dosei heroylia na piasteis
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
This Danish comedy, like most of that country's dramas, is dark, dark, dark. The film's humor offers an odd blend of subversively sly narrative mixed with bursts of sudden, sharp violence and goofy slapstick.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
Some will see this as a movie about how we're all God's children. I saw only the misanthropic fulminations of Jensen's runaway ego.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
For most of its length it's wonderfully wicked -- Jensen actually forces us to sympathize with the neo-Nazi's attitude toward the minister -- but the ending unfortunately mitigates the nastiness ...
Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card
Strong direction, solid acting, and a script as crisp and juicy as freshly picked apples. A solid "A" film.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Director Jensen (who co-scripted After the Wedding) breaks away from Dogme to make a more stylized film, using a controlled surface that disarms us with surreal happenings and well-executed absurdity.
Frank Ochieng, TheWorldJournal.com
Deliciously profane, dark and somber, Denmark's Adam's Apples is fiendishly ripe for the picking.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Lewis C

"Let's stop with the accusations. It was an old cat. He just happened to fall down while we were shooting." There are dark comedies. There are pitch black comedies. And then, there's Adam's Apples. If you want to watch a movie that takes some of the most… More
"Let's stop with the accusations. It was an old cat. He just happened to fall down while we were shooting." There are dark comedies. There are pitch black comedies. And then, there's Adam's Apples. If you want to watch a movie that takes some of the most depressing, horrible things you can think of, and makes them absolutely hilarious, this is the movie for you. I won't spoil much of the story, as watching what unexpectedly happens throughout is one of the pleasures of the movie. It begins with a priest named Ivan driving an unrepentant neo-Nazi named Adam from prison to the church where he will be performing his community service. Ivan gives Adam the choice of one goal to set for himself to complete, before he leaves. Ivan, completely uncaring, chooses to make an apple pie from the apple tree outside the church, once they are ripe. From there, things quickly get out of hand. Let's just say that the sensitive need not apply. I recommend Adam's Apples to people with a dark sense of humor, who are fine with laughing at incredibly inappropriate (yet incredibly amusing) things. This movie was made for people like you and me. I'm not referring to low-brow humor. This is a different animal. An utterly unique (as far as my experience goes), intelligent comedy that ultimately brings sunshine forth from some of the darkest clouds you've ever seen (both figuratively and literally).
Randy T

On the one hand we criticize films for conforming or being unimaginative, but when something totally original comes along we're not quite sure how to take it. Such is the case with <i>Adam's Apples</i>. I had to watch it twice. First to be repulsed by… More
On the one hand we criticize films for conforming or being unimaginative, but when something totally original comes along we're not quite sure how to take it. Such is the case with <i>Adam's Apples</i>. I had to watch it twice. First to be repulsed by it's violence and cynicism, then once again to be open to it's dark humor and wonderful bizarreness. Freakishly delightful.
Jens S

The idea of sending a neo-Nazi into community service with a priest is pretty fantastic stuff for a mix of comedy and drama. And for the first half this Danish film makes good use of a handful of pretty funny situations, thanks to the colliding characters of the ex-con and the just as… More
The idea of sending a neo-Nazi into community service with a priest is pretty fantastic stuff for a mix of comedy and drama. And for the first half this Danish film makes good use of a handful of pretty funny situations, thanks to the colliding characters of the ex-con and the just as crazy priest and regular signs of a pretty sick sense of humor. Some parts around the middle maybe turned a bit too bizarre, dramatic and unbelievable, but the great actors make up for it and by the time of the solution the film is back on track. Worth seeing.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Adam's Apples," Adam(Ulrich Thomsen), a neo-Nazi, has just been released from prison into the care of Ivan(Mads Mikkelsen), a reverend who runs a halfway house for released convicts. So good is he at his job that two of his former charges,… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Adam's Apples," Adam(Ulrich Thomsen), a neo-Nazi, has just been released from prison into the care of Ivan(Mads Mikkelsen), a reverend who runs a halfway house for released convicts. So good is he at his job that two of his former charges, Gunnar(Nicolas Bro) and Khalid(Ali Kazim), have stuck around long after their terms were over to help out around the church. As far as Adam goes, Ivan asks him what goal he would like to aim for. To which, he replies that he would like to be able to bake an apple pie in a few months. So Ivan puts him in charge of taking care of the apple trees on the property. The local crows of course have different ideas...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The bad news about "Adam's Apples" is that five minutes in I knew exactly how the movie was going to end. The good news is that it is so delightfully warped that hardly any other part was predictable at all. In general, the movie fails to keep to any preconceived ideas as to who these characters might be, especially Ivan. In this fable about sanity and faith, what is important for Ivan is the final destination, not necessarily the route taken.[/font]
Lesley N

Unexpected, very dark , very funny and very Danish film from Anders Thomas Jensen about the battle between good and evil, starring a newly released neo-Nazi ex-con who's sent to live with a odd set of characters;, Ivan the delusional priest,Gunnar the overweight kleptomaniac… More
Unexpected, very dark , very funny and very Danish film from Anders Thomas Jensen about the battle between good and evil, starring a newly released neo-Nazi ex-con who's sent to live with a odd set of characters;, Ivan the delusional priest,Gunnar the overweight kleptomaniac drunk ex-tennis player, Khalid the terrorist and Sarah the ambivalent mother-to-be. Excellent film, full of surprises, I loved it. From REBEL22's favourites list. . .
Daisy M

This movie had so many deep meaning and points of interests, it is a simple tale of hope, meaning of life and personalities, I liked Mads Mikkelsen's acting, it blew me away, and the plot, if you aren't too sensitive to black humor, I recommend you to watch Adam's… More
This movie had so many deep meaning and points of interests, it is a simple tale of hope, meaning of life and personalities, I liked Mads Mikkelsen's acting, it blew me away, and the plot, if you aren't too sensitive to black humor, I recommend you to watch Adam's Apples. I'd like to say that I was not used to Danish humor, and sometimes I did not understood some scenes, and that made me feel bad. Concept of the movie revolves around themes like religion, mental dis-behavior and good vs. evil. Summary, it was just perfect!