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In a Better World
In a Better World Image
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Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: 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. (Sony Pictures Classics)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 1 out of 29
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Mar 31, 2011
    90
    One of the places where In a Better World is especially successful is comparing and contrasting the moral worlds of children and adults, showing how difficult but essential it is for each group to learn from the other.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    Apr 14, 2011
    50
    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.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    Apr 14, 2011
    38
    The movie is swept up in earnest self-importance.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. eddie1987
    10
    I enjoy watching this film, it was amazing story. violence, friendship, love, happiness. great actors, this movie is such Oscar worthy! I love European movies!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. layola
    9
    This is beautifully shot film full of talented actors. The core of the story is about revenge: that act of a man which is highly valued in tribal societies but can be also seen as an universal way of coping with rage and honor. Even in so called better world, in quite safe Denmark, sometimes you d think the easiest way is to answer violence with violence, to injustice with injustice. This film can be also seen as essay on masculinity considering the physical power and the ideals of a man as a protector. There are cultures which are focused to maintain a man ´s honor in showing aggression and, in the other hand, there are also cultures which embrace self-confidence and controlling one ´s anger as a sign of strength and high social status. As you can see, individuals raised in those two cultures grown up to be totally different in the way they see the world. And when those cultures face each other there are some questions you should ask: how far you can go with your pacifism in a culture that doesn ´t appreciate that kind of response but see it as a sign of losing ones honor and sometimes, losing one s life? How a man, who has been taught to control his weakness trough destructive behavior which initially leads to the complete destruction of his manhood and humanity, can be seen in a western culture which at least on some level appreciate very much the idea of all men being equal? Are those cultures and societies that emprace that kind of destructive behavior also equal? To put it anohter way: Why should you save the life of a mass murderer? We are living in the time of globalisation and people are truly dealing with those questions when meeting people with different world views and moral responses -it is not just a matter of individual free choice between fear and love, but most importantly: how our children should be raised in this world in order to make it better? How we embrace the culture that makes it easier to forgive, to face one ´s weaknesses and feel empathy to one another? This movie asks hard question and to in order to be able to answer those questions you have to put down your weapons and face your fear, and face the death. If that means to you the same thing as surrending, then you are in the middle of loosing it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. TVJerry
    6
    One of the recurring themes on this season's "Glee" has been bullying. In this Oscar winner (Best Foreign Film), the Danes tackle the subject…with no singing. Two young boys grapple with a school bully, then the adult world faces intimidation and cruelty. This bleak drama features quietly-observed moments of desperation, complex moral issues and killer performances from the kids. The situations are compelling and the circumstances are complex, it's also slow, dreary and affected.… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes

See all 8 User Reviews

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