What’s it about?

Four middle-aged teachers, tired of their various routines, test a hypothesis that their social and professional lives will improve by maintaining a constant Blood Alcohol Content of 0.05%

What did we think?

Peter Linning says: Another Round is a perfect balance of comedy and drama, being both intoxicating and sobering in equal measure. The film doesn’t lean into the obvious opportunities for broad humour that the premise suggests – four tipsy teachers pretending to be sober only needs a light touch to guarantee laughs. But by the same token never gets too heavy-handed when the experiment inevitably starts negatively affecting their personal and professional lives. 

The comedic and dramatic moments benefit from feeling grounded, largely due to the fantastic performances (Mads Mikkelsen is the most familiar to international audiences, but singling him out feels unfair as all four leads are fantastic), and excellently subdued direction by Thomas Vinterberg that has the camera seemingly reflecting the current BAC of the character we’re following. It’s fantastic from the very start until its utterly joyous ending sequence, easily my favourite film of the year so far. 10/10

James Tinniswood says: Another Round constantly walks a line of dark satire and poignant drama, and unlike a drunk driver undergoing a roadside test, it’s able to stay upright and balanced doing it.

I wasn’t aware of the Danish culture’s relationship to alcohol, but as an Australian, it is not a stretch to identify. It’s hard to get a read on when the movie is pro or anti-alcohol (the cause of – and solution to – all of life’s problems!): you get drawn along for the ride with these friends in the wild times, and yet there are SO many “oh no, don’t do it, don’t do it” moments where you hope they snap the hell out of it to the decisions they’re making, some eventually leading to heartbreaking consequences.

But after the movie’s most (pun intended) sobering stretch, it pulls you back into the party and leaves you on a giddy high with the Mads Mikkelsen dance sequence. On the internet, it’s a fun meme; in the context of the movie, it’s exhilarating, cathartic and worth the wait. 9/10