A Better Place: Bittersweet Melancholy with a Dash of Hope

You know that feeling when you’re out on a sunny day in Stockholm, maybe in July, and suddenly a cold breeze sweeps through, reminding you that we can never truly count on the weather? Watching “A Better Place” kinda gave me that vibe. Directed by the ever-impressive Lars von Trier with Mads Mikkelsen leading the charge, you’d think you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster—and you’d be right.

Mads, with his intense stare and uncanny ability to make you feel all the things, plays a character who’s struggling to find meaning after a personal tragedy. It’s the kind of role he was born to play, I reckon. It’s like he’s carrying the entire movie with those weary yet hopeful eyes. Funny enough, I once got a glimpse of Mads at the Göteborg Film Festival back in 2018. He was so effortlessly cool, it was like he stepped out of a movie and into real life just for a moment, you know?

But anyhow, back to “A Better Place”—the film’s narrative dances between hope and despair, much like the way I juggle my feelings when watching a Bergman classic. There are moments when you feel like giving up on it, but like when you’re glued to a particularly good book, it pulls you right back in.

The cinematography deserves a special shoutout—it’s like the grey-slated skies over Luleå during winter, moody but beautiful. And Björk’s haunting soundtrack? Hits you like memories of lost loves—unspeakably personal yet universal.

All that said, the pacing sometimes made me want to scream, “Get on with it!” Much like when you’re stuck behind a Volvo in the left lane on E4. And yet, there’s something about the film that makes it stick. Kind of like a nagging itch you can’t quite reach but wouldn’t want to anyway, because it reminds you you’re still alive.

Is it worth a trip to the cinema? Yeah, I’d say so. If you’ve got a taste for the bittersweet, or just want a good cry. Just maybe skip the popcorn—this movie’s more of a Kexchoklad and moody silence kinda deal.

Check the trailer below