In a Better World

Filmmaker Susanne Bier’s first Danish effort since 2006’s After the Wedding, In a Better World follows two young boys – William Jøhnk Nielsen’s angry, sullen Christian and Markus Rygaard’s open-hearted, bullied Elias – as their friendship ultimately winds up impacting both their lives and their families’ lives. In a Better World initially comes off as a solid drama that grows more and more riveting and engrossing as it progresses, as Bier does an absolutely stunning job of transforming each and every one of the film’s central characters into fully-fleshed out, entirely compelling figures whose exploits one can’t help but latch onto. The low-key yet fascinating atmosphere is heightened by both the uniformly stirring performances and by the sporadic inclusion of riveting stand-alone sequences; in terms of the latter, there’s a sequence in which Elias’ pacifist father (Mikael Persbrandt’s Anton) confronts a bully that’s as suspenseful and tense as it is cringe-worthy. (It’s just a fantastic bit of filmmaking.) There’s likewise little doubt that Bier does a superb job of ensuring that the emotional resonance of the proceedings builds steadily throughout, with the movie’s powerful third act diminished very slightly by a prolonged (and faintly unnecessary) coda that goes on just a bit too long. Still, In a Better World is a dramatic masterpiece that surely stands as the crowning achievement in Bier’s consistently enthralling filmography (with 2007’s Things We Lost in the Fire standing as a rare misfire for the director).

**** out of ****