After his mother's death, Christian moves once again, and starts in a new school. He meets Elias, and defends him against bullies. The latter's father works as a doctor in Africa, with a sadistic crime lord nearby. And so we have the setting for a drama exploring revenge, as well as power struggles, loss and fear. The overall moral isn't going to surprise anyone(and it isn't entirely consistent),and this does occasionally stoop to a cliché. However, it remains a gripping and effective film, and it manages to interject a lot of insight and truth, seeing situations from multiple different perspectives. This is the second movie by Bier that I watch, and I am confirmed in my assertion that Things We Lost in The Fire was a fluke, and not representative of her level of talent(it should be noted that the main problem with that one was the script, and she had nothing to do with that). She abandons the eyeball shots, and there is much rejoicing. The camera is close at times, though no longer oppressively so. This has a cinematography similar to the show NCIS, with hand-held cameras. I didn't feel like the nature footage added anything, at least not that of Denmark. The editing puts you right there, without being annoying or particularly drawing attention to itself. This is written by the man behind Den Du Frygter, Mørke and Blinkende Lygter(and other famous ones, but those are the ones I've seen and liked),and his skill and credible, human characters(that are the focus) shines through. Everything is set up, and most of it pays off. The acting is excellent, without exception, the kids especially. Our half-way orphaned lead captures every look and movement to perfection, and they really did find someone who could be Thomsen's son. Bodnia returns to a typecast role for him, and delivers. The vast majority of the humor works, and nearly none of it detracts from the serious and important subject. Everyone can recognize the little brother in someone they do or have known. The music is appropriate and not distracting. Dialog is great. No soap opera moments, it all comes across as entirely genuine, and nothing comes out of the blue. The tone is mature and honest; we don't feel preached to, or lectured, this respects its audience and honestly understands what it has to say, it isn't merely repeating a mantra. There is gore(think ER) and disturbing content in this. I recommend it to anyone that this at all appeals to. 8/10

I have a minor quibble with the DVD for "In a Better World". While there IS captioning, it only appears when the characters speak in a foreign language. However, when they speak English (in the US version),you see no captioning at all. Considering their accents and my hearing (which isn't great),this was a bit of a pain.

"In a Better World" is a story about two families living in Denmark and their sons. Elias comes from a family where his parents are divorcing. His father spends much of his time traveling to Africa to treat folks in refugee camps. The man, frankly, is too good--too idealistic and too nice. Elias wonders if this is, at least in part, why his mother doesn't want to stay married. Christian is Swedish and his father has moved him all over the world. His mother is dead but the father often travels--and you aren't sure who he leaves the boy with, but as the film progresses you see that his is a very disturbed kid.

The first inklings that Christian has problems is just after he starts a new school. A bully is making his life hard--and even harder for Elias. And, after the school did nothing to deal with the bully and the gang, Christian takes the problem into his own hands. You could understand why, though the intensity of Christian's reaction is a bit unnerving. However, I must admit I liked seeing him beat the tar out of the bully and threaten him with a knife.

Over time, you start to see that while Christian is right in fighting back, there is a limit--and Christian seems more than willing to take his views to an extreme. When Elias' father is slapped by a jerk, Christian thinks that entitles the father to hit back. But, when he won't (the father clearly believes, very literally, in Jesus' saying about turning the other cheek),Christian ponders making a pipe bomb to blow up the other man's van--teaching him a lesson. Elias is horrified--but stays friends with Christian. What follows is VERY complex and almost impossible to predict--and that unpredictability is what makes this a film well worth seeing.

The film has excellent acting, a story with multiple interpretations and lessons and seemed quite real. Well worth seeing.

This rather simple tale of two boys won an Oscar last year for Best Foreign language film. In A Better World shows the consequences of some reckless plans for vengeance taking a bad turn.

The two boys William Johnk Nielsen and Markus Rygaard dominate the film. Rygaard has a father who is a doctor working in Africa on a humanitarian mission and separated from his wife. They are contemplating divorce and split custody of Rygaard. Nielsen is dealing with the death of his mother and he's got some anger issues.

Rygaard is being bullied and school and Nielsen who is a new kid sees it happening. He exacts a really nasty revenge on the school bully and Rygaard is bound to him. So far this sounds like a juvenile version of the Rob Lowe/James Spader classic Bad Influence.

Later on after an adult lout humiliates Rygaard's father these kids ratchet their revenge up and it brings about disaster.

The two kids have a nice chemistry, the adults are in support of them. In A Better World shows this world is far from simple and you just take it a day at a time. This Danish film will be a classic.