Terribly Happy (Frygtelig lykkelig) (2008)

91% of critics liked it
(45 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(2,028 ratings)

Temporarily reassigned to the provincial Danish town of Skarrild after being accused of professional misconduct in Copenhagen, a by-the-books policeman begins to sense that the hamlet has something truly sinister in its midst in this dark drama based on author Erling Jepsen's novel of the same name.… More Temporarily reassigned to the provincial Danish town of Skarrild after being accused of professional misconduct in Copenhagen, a by-the-books policeman begins to sense that the hamlet has something truly sinister in its midst in this dark drama based on author Erling Jepsen's novel of the same name. Constable Robert isn't used to life in the country, so when he's first confronted by the small-town customs of South Jutland he begins to feel as if he's drifted into some kind of all-too-quaint alternate reality. But perhaps his suspicion that everything here is just a little too perfect isn't just the result of simple culture shock, because the more Constable Robert gets to know about his new surroundings, the more convinced he becomes that the community of South Jutland harbors a disturbing secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Henrik Ruben Genz
Written By: Henrik Ruben Genz, Dunja Gry Jensen
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Feb 1, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Jul 13, 2010
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures

Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Lurid and stylish, this 2008 Danish feature plays like a cross between The Postman Always Rings Twice and High Noon, with a dash of Gothic thriller.
Alissa Simon, Variety
Entertaining and full of surprising twists, this highly cinematic tale of a Copenhagen policeman working punishment duty in the provinces plays with genre in a manner that can be compared with the Coen brothers or David Lynch.
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Terribly Happy must surely be the greatest Danish Western ever made.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The characters are intended to be slightly stupid, but the writing isn't necessarily smarter.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Genz creates a distinctive look and feel in the film. The town is drab, the people wrung out, and the moments of passion are smoothed back down into the tired routine.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Word is that Danish director Henrik Ruben Genz is planning to remake his latest film, Terribly Happy, in English. There's not much room for improvement.
Rob Thomas, Wisconsin State Journal
"Terribly Happy" is a little light on the plotting, going on narrative autopilot for the last third of the film instead of giving us a few extra turns of the screw for good measure.
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com
Not quite a comedy but as darkly comic a crime drama as you'll find, this offbeat modern noir... is a weirdly compelling portrait of a town that has its own sense of justice...
Alison Gang, San Diego Union-Tribune
The setting is stark and simple - a semi-deserted, two-street town amid long, flat marshland - but Director Henrik Ruben Genz infuses it all with a dark, twisted beauty.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It has been aptly compared to the Coen Brothers and films like Blood Simple (1984).
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
A nearly surreal Scandinavian crime thriller with noirish shades of a Stockholm syndrome kicking in, this creepy delight unfolds on the border somewhere between the Nordic boondocks and the Twilight Zone.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
A nearly surreal Scandinavian crime thriller with noirish shades of a Stockholm syndrome kicking in, this creepy delight unfolds on the border somewhere between the Nordic boondocks and the Twilight Zone.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
Terribly Happy is a comedy of misdirection of the blackest hue...
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Obviously, the dark nature of the story will turn off some audiences. But the film will appeal to those who love the thriller genre...
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Kimberly Gadette, Indie Movies Online
With its fascinating story, perfect pacing and superbly moody camera work by cinematographer Jorgen Johansson, Terribly Happy takes you by a slow, purposeful surprise.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Terribly Happy is a gripping morality tale, one that uses macabre humor and sudden reversals to show how seemingly little mistakes can become life-changing disasters.
Corey Hall, Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
No noirish yarn this good stays obscure long
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
An American remake is said to be in the works; see the original before someone lesser than Genz -- or the Coens -- gets their mitts on it.
Andy Klein, Christian Science Monitor
Genz and Erling have constructed a story so clever that the pleasure of following its twists is enough in itself.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Coxxie M

not a happy film. not a terrible one either. but it does have a cop with a big moustache and a gun that he never uses. people have flashy show-offy names and speak words that don't make a lick of sense. i don't know. i wish they could just speak american. if i made this… More
not a happy film. not a terrible one either. but it does have a cop with a big moustache and a gun that he never uses. people have flashy show-offy names and speak words that don't make a lick of sense. i don't know. i wish they could just speak american. if i made this movie there would be more shooting and he would have a shiny golden gun but it would have fuzzy pink dice hanging from the bottom to symbolize his masculinity in a time of conflict and consequently his need for eliminating figures who threaten his character in turn threatens his own sanity while stimulating his ego... err umm i mean i would get him to fuck that blond chick and shoot guys with his fuzzy dice gun at the same time and they would be covered in foreign blood after fucking and it would be sweet and win some non-american awards or something.
El Hombre I

Terribly Happy is a Danish film about small town paranoia with echoes of The Coen Bros. film, Blood Simple. Although based on a true story, it also borrows a tiny bit from other films here and there. However, Terribly Happy still delivers and is clever and entertaining. Not a lot… More
Terribly Happy is a Danish film about small town paranoia with echoes of The Coen Bros. film, Blood Simple. Although based on a true story, it also borrows a tiny bit from other films here and there. However, Terribly Happy still delivers and is clever and entertaining. Not a lot happens during the course of the film, but that lends to noirish feeling it gives off while the central character, Robert, tries to make sense of it all. The acting is pretty good and the damp country-side setting reminds you that real help is far away. It was cool to see Kim Bodnia (Pusher) in a different, yet, very tense role. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=terribly_happy02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/terribly_happy02.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Steven C

I mean, if you are into these slick foreign thrillers that are so desperately trying to live up to their American influences (in the case of "Terribly Happy" it's the Coen Brothers) who are not concerned with forging their own identity then you will certainly enjoy… More
I mean, if you are into these slick foreign thrillers that are so desperately trying to live up to their American influences (in the case of "Terribly Happy" it's the Coen Brothers) who are not concerned with forging their own identity then you will certainly enjoy this.... but I didn't, really.
Cynthia S

A very well written story that seems to move slow but unfolds nicely into a story that only could have happened in the small town that it did. It merges murder, coverup, brutal husband, love smitten marshall, and a beautiful woman into a scenario that you could never expect. Gritty.… More
A very well written story that seems to move slow but unfolds nicely into a story that only could have happened in the small town that it did. It merges murder, coverup, brutal husband, love smitten marshall, and a beautiful woman into a scenario that you could never expect. Gritty. Suspenseful. Quirky. All the things that I love in a movie. :)
Alireza M

Another movie which is based on accidents and incidents.Less about the characters and more about the events.Its unpredictable and we have no idea what will happen next time.The only one sequence which i didnt like and seemed unacceptable was one the of the key scenes.The scene in… More
Another movie which is based on accidents and incidents.Less about the characters and more about the events.Its unpredictable and we have no idea what will happen next time.The only one sequence which i didnt like and seemed unacceptable was one the of the key scenes.The scene in which accidentally main character kills the female character.
Stefanie C

Twisted! What is even better about this film is that it is based on true events. There is humor in this, but it's very dark and subtle. There really is something rotten in Denmark. Mejn!
Walter M

In "Terribly Happy," Robert(Jakob Cedergren) is the new marshall. After an incident in his native Copenhagen, he is being given a second chance in a small town. That should be easy enough as whatever crime there is should be easy to handle. An example of this is… More
In "Terribly Happy," Robert(Jakob Cedergren) is the new marshall. After an incident in his native Copenhagen, he is being given a second chance in a small town. That should be easy enough as whatever crime there is should be easy to handle. An example of this is Ingelise(Lene Maria Cristensen) who claims that her husband Jorgen(Kim Bodnia) is beating her and has the bruises to prove it. He says she is crazy. Regardless, the only thing keeping her in the marriage is their daughter Dorthe(Madeline Maack) who spends her nights pushing around an empty baby carriage. So, it's a good thing they live in such a safe neighborhood. "Terribly Happy" is a cynical(I mean this as the kindest compliment) movie as it brilliantly and unpredictably plays off the expectations of the viewers with a cold logic, nonetheless. It is especially interested in how the police are more concerned with keeping order than in upholding the law. The movie takes full advantage of the setting of an isolated village and using that to its atmospheric best, where everybody knows everybody else's business and pleasure, and who only see whatever they want to see, living by a clear set of rules, such as how to hang the laundry(There are people who still do this?), occasionally enforced by violence and illegal dumping. So, it's best not to interfere which Robert tries to do by enforcing his own version of the law and so steps in it. It takes a good while for him to get his footing, during which his masculinity gets impugned on a couple of occasions.(A good pair of boots is needed to live in this town.) When he follows the town's suggestion as to how to fight petty crime, he has his greeting returned for the first time and a free bottle of wine given to him. So, what did happen to the old marshall?
Hal M

Excellent thriller. In the vein of "Blood Simple," "Blue Velvet" and "Following". Well written, photographed, acted, everything. Director Henrik Ruben Genz has been knocking on the doors for years to get a chance to make a movie and he's made the… More
Excellent thriller. In the vein of "Blood Simple," "Blue Velvet" and "Following". Well written, photographed, acted, everything. Director Henrik Ruben Genz has been knocking on the doors for years to get a chance to make a movie and he's made the most of it. Recommended.
Christopher H

There is nothing sensational about Terribly Happy. However, its off kilter and definitive nature draws most of its interest. The looming bog allows for several thrilling moments and an unexpected end.
The S

A little gem of a Danish picture which I watched subtitled in English. Both clever and entertaining, this film excels in a strong plot and characterisations. Casting and performances are spot on bringing to life the somewhat strange goings-on in its remote and atmospheric setting.… More
A little gem of a Danish picture which I watched subtitled in English. Both clever and entertaining, this film excels in a strong plot and characterisations. Casting and performances are spot on bringing to life the somewhat strange goings-on in its remote and atmospheric setting. Don't be put off by the subtitles - it's a good one.
matt s

A bit convoluted and unbelievable, but good-looking and avoiding cliche turns. It just tries too hard to be everything at once. Worth a view on the instant queue.