In A Better World (2011)

77% of critics liked it
(114 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(5,802 ratings)

Anton is a doctor who commutes between his home in an idyllic town in Denmark, and his work at an African refugee camp. In these two very different worlds, he and his family are faced with conflicts that lead them to difficult choices between revenge and forgiveness. Anton and his wife Marianne, who… More Anton is a doctor who commutes between his home in an idyllic town in Denmark, and his work at an African refugee camp. In these two very different worlds, he and his family are faced with conflicts that lead them to difficult choices between revenge and forgiveness. Anton and his wife Marianne, who have two young sons, are separated and struggling with the possibility of divorce. Their older, ten-year-old son Elias is being bullied at school, until he is defended by Christian, a new boy who has just moved from London with his father, Claus. Christian‟s mother recently lost her battle with cancer, and Christian is greatly troubled by her death. Elias and Christian quickly form a strong bond, but when Christian involves Elias in a dangerous act of revenge with potentially tragic consequences, their friendship is tested and lives are put in danger. Ultimately, it is their parents who are left to help them come to terms with the complexity of human emotions, pain and empathy. -- (C) Sony Pictures Classics

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 53 min.
Directed By: Susanne Bier
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 1, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Aug 30, 2011
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Susanne Bier's latest meditation on grief and the boundaries of family -- which won this year's foreign-film Oscar -- is a tough piece of work, subtle in some ways, obvious in others, viscerally affecting throughout.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Simply put, this would be a better world if there were more films like In a Better World.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A most deserving Oscar winner and a film that could provoke discussion anywhere it is shown, anywhere people of any age are being bullied.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
An ethically ambitious, morally thoughtful - and deeply vexing - drama about the fragility of civil order and the menace of the lawless.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
[This] encasing parable is brand new and immediately provocative.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
I hate to rap this serious-minded filmmaker, but I'm beginning to wonder whether her scripts aren't better realized when they're held in check, whether by Hollywood star power (Things We Lost in the Fire) or by the hand of another director (Open Hearts).
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Film defies conventional expectations about biblical notions of retribution, even as it initially prepares you to accept them. A truly complex work of art.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Un estupendo drama contemporáneo sobre algunos de los conflictos más básicos que acechan a hombres y mujeres de bien en cualquier rincón del mundo.
Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com
It would have worked better if it weren't so obvious and manipulative. About halfway through, it plays more like a diagram of lessons learned than a movie about real people dealing with complicated problems.
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
The microcosm of the children's world is exceptionally well drawn.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
In addition to being safe and non-threatening, Bier's film finds time to throw in mentions of cancer and divorce, and images of poor children starving in Africa. It's pretty much a recipe for an Oscar.
Graham Young, Birmingham Mail
Essentially an essay about bullying ( ... ) and the abuse of power, it will probably be appreciated most by people who want to keep up with [Susanne] Bier's maturing catalogue.
Roz Laws, Birmingham Post
It's well made but too flawed to be a satisfying cinematic experience.
John Ferguson, Radio Times
The superb acting - the youngsters are particularly good - and Bier's sympathetic direction help overcome the occasional lapse into melodrama.
Chris Buckle, The Skinny
Though the performances are excellent, it aint no Dogtooth.
, Film4
The film is built on strong performances and some powerful moments, though its subtleties risk being eclipsed by contrived emotional pyrotechnics.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The movie holds your attention, but you leave discussing the manipulative plot rather than the moral issues it raises.
Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express
A thought-provoking, powerfully acted and resonant exploration of rough justice in the modern world...
Derek Malcolm, This is London
Bier's strength is storytelling and her ability to find actors to do those stories justice.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
I wished I liked it more. But, for all its good points, this film is a high-concept contrivance of the sort Bier turns out easily, and looks like a faintly preposterous cine-soap opera for haemophiliac-hearted liberals.

Read all 26 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

A fantastic film with two main interweaving storeys. Susanne Bier started off as a Dogme 95 director, a manifesto I was a big fan off but it did have a limited shelf life - what has come from the movement and from it's directors are more focused, meaningful and realistic films.… More
A fantastic film with two main interweaving storeys. Susanne Bier started off as a Dogme 95 director, a manifesto I was a big fan off but it did have a limited shelf life - what has come from the movement and from it's directors are more focused, meaningful and realistic films. In a better World is a perfect example of this. I'm really glad it was nominated for an Oscar but it still doesn't seem to have given it the publicity it deserved as I still don't know many people who have seen it. I still think Biutiful should have won but it's a deserved winner and better than most of the non-foreign language fans nominated. Isn't it time to get rid of this category?
Jan Marc M

In A Better World is an ethically provocative and morally thoughtful drama that advocates family, bullying, and justice. Ambitious.
Cynthia S

Breath-taking cinematography. Slow moving drama, but extremely well done. Great actors. Very moving story...and lots of very blue eyes. Oh those Scandinavians!
Lorenzo v

"- If you hit him, he hits you, and then it never ends. - Not if you hit hard enough the first time." 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… More
"- If you hit him, he hits you, and then it never ends. - Not if you hit hard enough the first time." 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. <center>REVIEW</center> In a Better World is an uncompromising but effective study of grief, heroism, and friendship, in a league where everyone faces revenge and no one responds the same as anyone else. In other words this is a challenging study of human nature stretched but resilient. The acting is first-rate, the story simple but surprising, and the awards--Oscar and Golden Globe--are well deserved. Woven into the intricate plot is Anton's willingness literally to turn his other cheek with his own bully in front of the boys, who demand revenge. They seem unaware of Anton's heroics in Kenya, where death stalks the tent hospital, and he is called on daily to face down both death and his revenge thoughts about a murderous tribal lord. The film's strength is its ability to attach the major players to the themes of friendship (the boys), heroism (an occasional occurrence) and revenge (everyone must face it). Director Susanne Bier has guided her actors to underplay while allowing the harrowing circumstances to do the heavy emotional lifting. Be it in Denmark or Kenya, faith in the goodness of mankind is ever-present, but so is despair. That third-world bookending can be emotionally blackmailing because who could be neutral about the impoverished and terrorized poor being saved by a noble physician? When juxtaposed with the sterile yet subtly violent life in Denmark, the fragility of all life and the horrors possible anywhere are amply represented if not overdone. No matter, Bier has successfully translated our fears about violence, revenge, and survival into images and words we can all understand. Our mission will be to strive for a better world.
Tracy K

Just back from seeing "In A Better World". Quite enjoyed it, althought still not sure that I'd have given it the Oscar over "Incendies".
Carlos M

At some point this fascinating film reminded me of Dogville. A challenging meditation on how hurt-induced revenge and the intention of getting rid of a menace can overlap when one looks for a motive to get even. It would have been much better, however, if it did not move its focus to… More
At some point this fascinating film reminded me of Dogville. A challenging meditation on how hurt-induced revenge and the intention of getting rid of a menace can overlap when one looks for a motive to get even. It would have been much better, however, if it did not move its focus to a minor subject (in comparison) in the third act.
Mike S

Danish Oscar-winner with supreme dramatic qualities. I'll admit that the story didn't seem very appealing to me at first, but it's one of those films that really grabs hold of you after a while - once you get to know all the characters. Engrossing and fine-spun… More
Danish Oscar-winner with supreme dramatic qualities. I'll admit that the story didn't seem very appealing to me at first, but it's one of those films that really grabs hold of you after a while - once you get to know all the characters. Engrossing and fine-spun intrigues, despite being a bit depressing at its core. There's not a doubt in my mind as to why it brought home the Academy Award. Because if there's one thing that Danes are great at, it's making well-acted dramas. Also a moment of pride for us Swedes, with Mikael "soon-to-be-Beorn" Persbrandt in a very prominent role. An excellent film altogether, with a strong universal message that I believe everyone can relate to.
Walter M

Elias(Markus Rygaard) is a 12-year old student whose parents Anton(Mikael Persbrandt) and Marianne(Trine Dyrholm), doctors, are often apart with Anton volunteering to go to Africa. The situation looks to become permanent with their divorce. At least, things are looking up for Elias… More
Elias(Markus Rygaard) is a 12-year old student whose parents Anton(Mikael Persbrandt) and Marianne(Trine Dyrholm), doctors, are often apart with Anton volunteering to go to Africa. The situation looks to become permanent with their divorce. At least, things are looking up for Elias when he finally makes a friend with the arrival of Christian(William Johnk Nielsen), a new student to his school with the same birthday of July 7. Christian's mother just died and his father(Ulrich Thomsen) who travels a lot to London has left the boy in his grandmother's(Dynah Bereket) care. But then Christian attacks Elias' bully, Sofus(Simon Maagaard Holm), with a bike pump. With her latest film, "In a Better World," director Susanne Bier desperately wants to make an important statement about violence in the world. The question lingering at the end is what exactly is she trying to say. Is it that violence never does any good? In any case, the movie wants to have its cake and eat it, too. First, there is a case straight out of a medical ethics textbook. Then, there is Christian's behavior which might possibly be explained away by some as due to his mother just dying.(Absent parents are a constant theme here.) However, acting out is one thing, but Christian's behavior definitely falls in the neighborhood of garden variety psychopath.(Notice the violent video game he is playing.) He's not the only character who does not behave in any recognizable way, either. Add the punches telegraphed so far ahead of time that they are laughable, and "In a Better World" falls flat on its face either in sending a coherent message or telling a compelling story.
Jeff T

Susanne Bier has made film after film of brutal, gut-punching morality, and her latest is no exception. If it lacks some of the of the delicacy of BROTHERS or AFTER THE WEDDING, IN A BETTER WORLD can't be faulted for not swinging for the fences. Bier is a true moralist, and… More
Susanne Bier has made film after film of brutal, gut-punching morality, and her latest is no exception. If it lacks some of the of the delicacy of BROTHERS or AFTER THE WEDDING, IN A BETTER WORLD can't be faulted for not swinging for the fences. Bier is a true moralist, and this story of responsibility and revenge is riveting from the word go. Divided between war-torn Africa and suburban Denmark, the story follows a good, good man and his family through hair-trigger decisions about how best to navigated a tricky world with grace and humanity intact. While not subtle, there is a kind of beauty in the way the tale unfolds, and you probably won't be sitting back in you seat for much of the ride.
Glenn G

This 2011 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film is a riveting experience....to a point...but when it works, it works. Basically this is a meditation on violence and bullying, wherein most of the main characters are faced with the same conundrum of what do to when one… More
This 2011 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film is a riveting experience....to a point...but when it works, it works. Basically this is a meditation on violence and bullying, wherein most of the main characters are faced with the same conundrum of what do to when one encounters a bully. Do you hit back or turn the other cheek? Does violence beget more violence or is it the answer? Set mainly in Denmark but with a part set in Kenya where a Swedish doctor runs a clinic for the needy villagers, this film plays almost like CRASH meets OFF THE MAP (Yes, the GREY'S ANATOMY quasi spinoff!) The tale of two families, one grieving over the death of a mother, while the other features the doctor in Kenya who is estranged from his wife and is the pacifist Dad as he deals with his own son being tormented at school. In the Kenya scenes, the Dad also has to confront a local kingpin who is raping and mutilating women, while back in Denmark, he has his own issues with a physically abusive auto mechanic. Bullying takes many forms here - with schoolkids and adults alike, and I became so wrapped up in the situations, because I found myself rooting for the characters to strike back. William Nielsen is particularly great as Christian, a young boy hardened to his core by the death of his mother and willing to resort to extreme violence to express his anger. Of course, nothing goes as planned for our characters, and we just know that tragedy is just around the corner. It eventually strikes, but then the movie starts to lose its nerve. In the last 15-20 minutes of the film, the writer obviously felt the need to tie up the many plot strands into tidy bows, and by doing so, it felt too pat and overextended. A little nerve was lost somehow. Not enough however to ruin what is mostly a beautifully shot, powerful film.
Panta O

In Danish the original name of the movie is Hævnen, (The Revenge) and that could be the main thread of the plot of this drama thriller written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier. The idea for the film was born when two of them had discussions about the perception of… More
In Danish the original name of the movie is Hævnen, (The Revenge) and that could be the main thread of the plot of this drama thriller written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier. The idea for the film was born when two of them had discussions about the perception of Denmark as a very harmonious society and their wish to write a story where dramatic turns of events would disrupt the image of a blissful place - soon they started developing the narrative with the character that would be played by Mikael Persbrandt (in the movie he was an idealist who becomes the victim of an assault but refuses to fight back). The choice of the best stars from Scandinavia says a lot about the acting which was superb! Mikael Persbrandt is joined by Trine Dyrholm, and Ulrich Thomsen in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. In the story of Anton (Mikael Persbrandt), who is a Swedish doctor who travels between Denmark and his work in a refugee camp in Sudan, and often has to treat (even pregnant) female patients who are the victims of a sadistic warlord, we learn that Anton's marriage to Marianne (Trine Dyrholm) is falling apart and they have to deal with that situation and their two young sons - the older one being 12-year-old Elias (Markus Rygaard). The parallel story of Christian (William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen), who has just moved from London with his father, Claus (Ulrich Thomsen), is smoothly interwoven in the first one when Christian becomes a new boy at Elias' school. Christian's has his own issues because his mother recently died from cancer, and Christian blames his father for lying to him that she would get well... that's for the part of the story - there is much more, but I'll suggest to find all that by yourself watching it! This movie is worth every second you spent on it! It won the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards for reason! Some critics said that it was made with a recipe for an Oscar with its safe and non-threatening approach and dealing with the issue of cancer and divorce, and images of poor children starving in Africa... and that was "so obvious and manipulative". Well, as an answer to them - that is a good directorship - if you can manipulate your audience that they do not notice it and enjoy the experience, what more do you want? Yes, in some parts of the movie, you'll experience a diagram of lessons learned instead of more realistic approach of ordinary people dealing with complicated problems but everything was done with skills of a master director, which Susanne Bier obviously is! She managed to cut between all of the complex developments of the stories to contrast the kinds of people who are instinctively cruel and those who are instinctively kind, and the outcomes are sometimes unpredictable. I am glad that the director was a female, because I felt seduced with her drama which pushes correct emotional buttons.
Grant B

If Jesus was a film director today, he would have made this film! The central theme of the film is compassion, forgiveness, and loving your enemy. I truly do believe that Jesus would not have directed movies like "Facing the Giants" or "Fireproof" (and not that… More
If Jesus was a film director today, he would have made this film! The central theme of the film is compassion, forgiveness, and loving your enemy. I truly do believe that Jesus would not have directed movies like "Facing the Giants" or "Fireproof" (and not that there is anything wrong with movies like that), but Jesus was a storyteller who told parables that involved many sins to convey greater life lessons. This film is packed with life lessons! If more people acted like the father Anton (who is a doctor in Africa and a dedicated father), then we all would live in a better world. In the film, nature almost seems to be a character. The world is beautifully depicted in incredible nature shots showing the natural beauty and brutality of our planet (dust devils and storms). The music does not distract from the film, but truly benefits the acting (on the note of acting, this film has two fantastic child actors)! Stylistically, the movie still bares some of the Dogme 95 tenants (shaky handheld work and purposeful jump cuts), but that only adds to the story as great Dogme 95 does. This film won best foreign film for a reason: It is tangible and universal in both theme and content.
Alec B

Its amateurish in the worst possible way. By comparing the problems in Africa to those of a few white, wealthy Europeans it undermines whatever statement its trying to make. Its basically the Danish "Crash".
Nicolas K

In a better world they would make more movies like this one. A thought provoking film, provides no answers, let alone easy ones. Deservedly nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars and although it was not my favourite pick of the final five, it eventually went to win the… More
In a better world they would make more movies like this one. A thought provoking film, provides no answers, let alone easy ones. Deservedly nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars and although it was not my favourite pick of the final five, it eventually went to win the statuette.
Juli R

This is a tough piece of work. Affecting, thoughtful, provocative.
Andre T

Danish-Swedish drama thriller film written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier. The film stars Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, and Ulrich Thomsen in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. In a Better World won the 2011 Golden… More
Danish-Swedish drama thriller film written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier. The film stars Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, and Ulrich Thomsen in a story which takes place in small-town Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. In a Better World won the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards.Life and death; loneliness and family;revenge, guilty and forgiveness.This dense film trails a path of redemption for misplaced people in converging events.The relashionship between father and son, husband and wife and a beautiful message of love and forgive gives this movie a state of art.The cinematography is exquisit , same as the music.This movie open my mind about a lot of things.
Daisy M

Golden Globe and Oscar winner for Best Foreign movie, In a better world was an artistically work, showing perfect performances from its tremendous cast to the stunning camerawork. This was my fourth movie that I saw from Danish director Susanne Bier, and I must confirmed that only… More
Golden Globe and Oscar winner for Best Foreign movie, In a better world was an artistically work, showing perfect performances from its tremendous cast to the stunning camerawork. This was my fourth movie that I saw from Danish director Susanne Bier, and I must confirmed that only Things We Lost in The Fire was a flop,but I never doubt of her level of talent because of that. Here she showed us adult themes such as broken families, single fathers, bullied boys and so much more. She teamed up once again with writer Anders Thomas Jensen for this story and together they brought this drama to a new level of excellence story telling. In a Better World was beautiful to watch as you could see Bier take on manliness and the limits of courage of her cast, especially her two young leads.The final part of the movie brought some worst kinds of cliches, but that did not ruin the whole concept of the movie at all. No wonder it won these awards.