Latest news with #ThomasVinterberg
New York Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Families Like Ours' Review: Emptying Denmark
The mini-series 'Families Like Ours' on Netflix has an attention-grabbing premise: An entire country, Denmark, decides to shut itself down before climate change can do the job for it. Six million Danes start looking for new homes. Relocation plans are drawn up with Scandinavian efficiency, but European neighbors look upon waves of relatively well-off white refugees with the same distaste they show for Africans and Middle Easterners. The seven-episode series is the first from the Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, known for founding the no-frills Dogme 95 movement with Lars von Trier and, 26 years later, being nominated for a best director Oscar for 'Another Round,' which won best international feature in 2021. The handsomely appointed 'Families Like Ours,' which Vinterberg wrote, with Bo Hr. Hansen, and directed, breaks just about every rule in the Dogme manifesto, as his films have all along. It is a high-class consumer item, deliberate and hushed. It does, however, have something in common with his one true Dogme film, 'The Celebration' from 1998. It subjects an extended Danish family to pressure and traces the fissures of guilt and dependency, the outbreaks of bad behavior and gallantry, that result. 'The Celebration,' released when Vinterberg was 29, did this via transgressive, occasionally puerile black humor; 'Families Like Ours' offers restrained, tasteful domestic drama. The contrast is startling, but the underlying satisfactions are similar. The new series (it premiered Tuesday on Netflix) will be categorized as a climate-change drama, and it is that. The story appears to take place in an unspecified but near future when waters have risen and efforts to hold them back have met with varying success. But the evidence of danger is mostly offscreen; the crisis is suggested through newscasts and ominous puddles. Vinterberg imagines that the climate crisis will arrive not in floods and heat but in bureaucracy and confusion — endless lines, indecipherable rules, arduous journeys, a constant assault on hope. His vision may not be easily dramatic, but it is convincing. (The overall premise is a more difficult sell. Would the Danes, as disciplined and regimented as they might be, really leave their country as obediently as the series portrays? Wouldn't many congregate on high ground and fight to stay? The show's failure to take on that possibility is a problem.) The show is also defined, in part, by the obvious reversal it plays on our expectations for stories about refugees. It is formerly comfortable white people who are standing in the lines, yelling across bank counters and nakedly pleading for handouts and favors. They are shocked by the conditions they face once they make it to Paris or Bucharest. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just added a new dystopian drama — and it's already 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
When looking through everything new on Netflix this week, one of the shows that caught my eye was "Families like Ours." This Danish dystopian drama miniseries comes from the mind of Academy Award-nominated director Thomas Vinterberg ("Another Round"), who wrote and directed all seven episodes. The show is set in a near-future Denmark where rising sea levels have caused the Danes to abandon their homeland. But while the impending doom of the story certainly plays a role, the show is more focused on how the mass exodus impacts those forced to leave — and those who choose to stay behind. While the drama series is new to Netflix this week, it debuted at the Venice International Film Festival last year and then first aired in its native Denmark later that same year. That means we already have some critical reviews, and they're so far very positive — a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. So here's everything you need to know about "Families like Ours," and why it needs to be the show you start binge-watching right now. As I already mentioned, "Families Like Ours" is set in a near-future world where rising sea levels force the Danish government to announce a mass evacuation. This decision causes a catastrophic domino effect. Property becomes worthless, which tanks the wealth of the Danish people. Those who still have wealth can sometimes secure their evacuations to the countries of their choosing, but others must take part in a government-funded relocation process that can tear families apart. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. One such family is Laura's (Amaryllis August), whose family is being torn apart as her mother (Paprika Steen) goes to one place, her father (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) to another and her boyfriend, Elías (Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt), goes to yet another location. Now Laura has to choose which path she'll take for herself. There aren't a ton of critics' reviews for "Families like Ours" yet, but those that have come in are all positive, albeit while highlighting some of the show's shortcomings. "Fascinating and infuriating in equal measure and ultimately oddly moving, for all its flaws," wrote Keith Watson for The Telegraph (UK). "'Families Like Ours' pulls you into its emotional slipstream and won't let go." Lucy Mangan had a similarly positive review, with some caveats. "There is much to admire," she wrote. "It doesn't preach, it does have the themes work through the characters instead of the other way round (and has a cast stuffed with Danish heavyweights to help it). But it all feels a bit thin, a bit bloodless – like a thought experiment made flesh rather than a compelling, provocative drama." By all accounts, "Families like Ours" won't suddenly become the next "Adolescence" for Netflix. But it also seems like everyone who has watched it has given it a positive review. Even better, as a seven-part miniseries, you're getting a complete story that you could finish over a week or even on a lazy weekend day. So, yes, go ahead and hit play on this Danish drama next time you log onto the streaming service. It definitely seems to be worth a watch. Stream "Families like Ours" now on Netflix Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Cannes 2025: Filmmakers launch Dogma 25 to rewrite rules of filmmaking in the internet age
Thirty years after Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg launched the Danish avant-garde filmmaking movement Dogme 95, a group of filmmakers from Sweden and Denmark have vowed to revive the movement at this year's Cannes Film Festival under the name Dogma 25. The participants in the latest iteration of the movement promise five films among themselves each year, and they intend to make these without using the internet in the creative process. 'In a world where film is based on algorithms and artificial visual expressions are gaining traction, it's our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct and human imprint,' said the five filmmakers in a statement. Founded by Danish-Egyptian director May el-Toukhy, the participants — Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklof, and Jesper Just — are calling the movement 'a rescue mission and a cultural uprising.' They have given themselves one year to create a movie. 'After Covid, all prices have gone up and we get less film for the same amount of money. That's a huge problem for the arthouse film, because the risk-taking is gone. All mainstream stands on the shoulders of arthouse, and if the arthouse dies completely, there will be no originality left in the mainstream,' said director Toukhy. Though the movement has taken inspiration from the 1995 manifesto of Dogma 95, it has only retained one rule from the original, which is that any film that is a part of the movement must be shot where the narrative takes place. Other rules that are binding on the participants include accepting funding only if no content-altering conditions are attached to it and not having more than 10 people behind the camera. It is also essential for a Dogma 25 film to be without dialogue for half of its runtime, as the participants claim that they believe in visual storytelling and that they have faith in the audience. They are also steering away from using make-up or attempts to manipulate faces and bodies of actors cast in the film. The movement is open to accepting more members and it also already received endorsement from Von Trier and Vinterberg.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes: Young Danish Collective Reboots Dogma for New Generation
Thirty years after Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg gave the arthouse movie world a much-needed kick in the pants with the Dogma 95, also known as Dogme 95, movement, a new generation of Nordic filmmakers is picking up the torch. A collection of four up-and-coming Danish directors, May el-Toukhy (Queen of Hearts), Milad Alami (Opponent), Annika Berg (Team Hurricane), Isabella Eklöf (Kalak), and Jesper Just (Vanishing Woman) are launching Dogma 25, a manifesto-driven initiative designed to rescue artistic integrity from the pressures of the modern film industry. More from The Hollywood Reporter Diane Kruger Goes Home to Reteam With Fatih Akin for 'Amrum': "We Bring Out the Best in Each Other" Angelina Jolie Delivers Humanitarian Message at Chopard Dinner in Front of Quentin Tarantino, Cannes Jury: "None of Us Are Naive" Lynne Ramsay, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson Toast 'Die, My Love' at Cannes Dinner Hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and Longines 'Dogma 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising,' the collective declared in a statement released in Cannes on Saturday. 'We stand together to defend artistic freedom as a shield against pointlessness and powerlessness.' The five filmmakers are backed by some of Denmark's most established production entities. The project was spearheaded by el-Toukhy, who approached Zentropa last year. Zentropa producers Louise Vesth (Melancholia, Nymphomaniac) and Sisse Graum Jørgensen (The Hunt, Another Round) will oversee the rollout, with support from the Danish Film Institute, DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), Nordisk Film Distribution, and international sales agent TrustNordisk. The directors will have their first films fully financed (to a budget of 10 million Danish Krone, or $1.45 million), with a theatrical release guaranteed for Denmark. TrustNordisk will handle world sales for all the Dogma 25 projects. 'In '95, we made films in the certainty of peace and created a revolt against conformity,' von Trier and Vinterberg said in a joint statement. 'In '25, new dogmas are created, now in a world of war and uncertainty. We wish you the best of luck on your march toward reconquering Danish film.' Von Trier and Vinterberg, together with directors Kristian Levring and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, formed the Dogme 95 Collective, with strict 'vows of chastity' requiring directors to use handheld cameras and natural light, and banning the use of diegetic music or genre conventions. Films made under the Dogme label included Vinterberg's Cannes Jury winner The Celebration (1998), Von Trier's The Idiots (1999), Kragh-Jacobsen's Mifune (1999), and Levring's The King is Alive (2000). The movement went international with Lovers (1999) from French director Jean-Marc Barr and Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) from American bad boy Harmony Korine. The movement is credited with revitalizing indie cinema in the late '90s. Like its 1995 predecessor, Dogma 25 is underpinned by a stringent vow of chastity and ten dogmas that set strict creative and production rules. But while Dogma 95 was primarily about aesthetics, conceived as an attack on the vanity of the director class and on overly-produced, superficial art house films (primarily from France), Dogma 25's prime target is the means of production, with a focus on how films are made, not what they look like. The 10 dogmas of Dogma 25 are: 'Scripts must be original and handwritten to preserve creative intuition; at least half of each film must be free of dialogue to emphasize visual storytelling; the internet is banned from the creative process to ensure connection to the physical world. Funding can only be accepted if it comes without editorial influence, and no more than ten crew members are allowed behind the camera. Films must be shot in their real-world locations, with no cosmetic alterations to faces or bodies unless required by the story. All materials — sets, props, costumes — must be reused or found, rejecting consumerism. Productions must be completed within a year to preserve urgency and creative flow. Above all, each film must be made 'as if it were the filmmaker's last.' 'In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it is our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint,' reads the group's manifesto. 'We fight against the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer product.' DR's head of drama Henriette Marienlund added, 'We agree with the necessity of finding new directions in order to build talent and bring new voices into Danish film. We were there for Dogma 95, so of course we are also along for the journey in 2025.' Nordisk Film Distribution's SVP Kenneth Wiberg pointed to the relevance of the moment: 'Dogma has always centred around relevant stories, and the market today needs a good story more than ever.' TrustNordisk's managing director Susan Wendt called the launch 'the perfect way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dogma 95,' saying she looked forward to bringing the new slate of films to global audiences. The first Dogma 25 films are expected to enter production later this year. A global launch and festival premieres are anticipated for 2026. You can read the full Dogma 25 manifesto and the 10 vows of chastity below. Manifesto:DOGMA 25 is a collective of filmmakers founded in Copenhagen in the spring of 2025. Our stated purpose is to preserve the originality of cinema and the opportunity to create film on its own terms. The role of the director has increasingly been reduced to that of project manager, the film to a commodity, and the audience to consumers. Experimental practice is stifled by fear of risk-taking, which suffocates artistic exploration and silences unique voices. When films are merely executed and not allowed to evolve organically, it puts the art form in danger of becoming functional, obedient and thereby irrelevant. In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it's our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint. We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable and we fight the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer good. By scaling down production, we ensure that everyone on the team has an intimate relationship with the film and its message. This will enhance mutual trust and a sense of collective responsibility for the film and for each other. It also allows us to safeguard the flexibility that is vital in making a creative process dynamic and intuitive, rather than purely executive. We celebrate DOGMA 95, all the filmmakers who came before us, and those who will come after. We stand together to defend artistic freedom as a shield against pointlessness and powerlessness. DOGMA 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising. To protect and preserve what we hold dear, we hereby submit to the unflinching and unbreakable set of rules called: THE VOW OF CHASTITY. THE VOW OF CHASTITY:I vow to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by DOGMA 25: 1. The script must be original and handwritten by the compel ourselves to write the script by hand in order to nurture the kind of intuition that flows most freely from the dream, channelled through the hand onto the paper. 2. At least half the film must be without insist on a cinematic approach to filmmaking, because we believe in visual storytelling and have faith in the audience. 3. The internet is off limits in all creative commit to produce the films relying on real people within our physical reality – rather than in a digital one infused with algorithms. 4. We'll only accept funding with no content altering conditions assume responsibility for keeping budgets down so the team retains final say in all artistic decisions. 5. No more than 10 people behind the commit to working in close collaborations to build trust and strengthen our shared vision. 6. The film must be shot where the narrative takes as an art form becomes artificial and generic when we portray a location in a false light. 7. We're not allowed to use make-up or manipulate faces and bodies unless it's part of the as we strive to maintain the authenticity of the location, we also want to portray the human body without a filter. We celebrate it – warts and all. 8. Everything relating to the film's production must be rented, borrowed, found, or commit to making films using objects that already exist and renounce the ahistorical and self-destructive culture of consumerism. 9. The film must be made in no more than one abstain from any lengthy processes that stand in the way of creative flow. 10. Create the film as if it were your last. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
The Guardian
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: Oscar winner Thomas Vinterberg's Danish climate crisis drama gets apocalyptic
Another double bill of Oscar winner Thomas Vinterberg's Danish climate crisis drama, which follows the evacuation of Denmark after the news that rising water levels will submerge the country. In episode three, the nation gathers for a church service that marks the official end of the state of Denmark. Then, people get desperate for payments, while others depart on dangerous journeys – and some face the grave consequences of their actions. Hollie Richardson It's crunch time in this fun, Squid Game-adjacent gameshow. With £25,000 to be won by one of the final eight players, it all comes down to a couple of unlikely questions: who will be able to stack the most boxes? And who will be able to sharpen the most pencils? Phil Harrison In a series that has been pointedly political but also more introspective than most previous Whos, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) land in Lagos, Nigeria, where mysterious authority figure the Barber (Ariyon Bakare) apparently reigns supreme. A story about the power of stories. Jack Seale It is surely undeniable that 1988 was one of the great pop years. Bros ruled the charts, but bubbling under were the likes of Neneh Cherry, Yazz, S'Express and Bomb the Bass. The BBC's repurposing of its music archive continues with this evening of year-specific nostalgia, which also includes the documentary Top of the Pops: The Story of 1988. PH Lee Mack hosts another round of the show that says: 'Facts: who needs them?' To ace this one, and bag up to £100,000, the contestants, increasingly whittled down from 100, need to employ 'common sense' instead, to answer a question just 1% of the UK can get right. Ali Catterall There are so many bright red flags in Birdie and dodgy Joe's new relationship that it is enough to make you scream 'Run!' at the screen. But maybe that's the point of this moreish Aussie thriller: the lies we tell ourselves (not just others) in the hope of love working out. Still, perhaps Birdie should do a background check after all. HR Speed (Jan De Bont, 1994), 11.10pm, ITV1 There is a bomb on a Los Angeles bus that will detonate if it drops below 50mph. Enter Keanu Reeves. His Swat team officer Jack jumps on board to help passenger turned driver Annie (Sandra Bullock) thwart the extortionist (Dennis Hopper at his unhinged best) who put the device on there. Reeves's potential as an action hero had been unearthed in Point Break a few years earlier and is enhanced in Jan de Bont's brilliantly tense thriller, aided by his great chemistry with Bullock. Top-notch stunt work rounds out a perfect popcorn flick. Simon Wardell Women's Super League Football, 12.15pm, BBC Two One match from the final round. Challenge Cup Rugby League Hull KR v Catalans Dragons, 2pm, BBC One From LNER Community Stadium in York. Warrington v Leigh is on Sun at 3.45pm on BBC Two. Premier League Football Bournemouth v Aston Villa, 5pm, Sky Sports Main Event From the Vitality Stadium.
