The Story of Another Round
Another Round follows four high school teachers in Copenhagen who've hit a wall. They're middle-aged, stuck in routines, and wrestling with the creeping sense that life has passed them by — that their best years are behind them. One of them stumbles onto a fringe theory: that humans perform better, feel more confident, and live more fully when maintaining a low, constant level of alcohol in their bloodstream. It's the kind of half-baked idea that sounds ridiculous in the daylight but gains traction in a bar at midnight. The four friends decide to run an experiment on themselves, documenting the results as they navigate their jobs, their families, and their own expectations. What starts as a lark becomes something far more complicated, as the line between self-improvement and self-destruction begins to blur.
Behind the Making of Another Round
Director Thomas Vinterberg co-wrote the film with Tobias Lindholm, crafting a story that's both a dark comedy and a genuine character study. Released in 2020, Another Round arrived during a moment when audiences were hungry for European cinema that didn't apologize for its uncomfortable questions. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen alongside Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, and Lars Ranthe — a ensemble cast that brings a lived-in, naturalistic quality to the material. Vinterberg, known for his rigorous approach to filmmaking, drew strong performances from all four leads, particularly Mikkelsen, whose character Martin becomes the emotional core of the experiment.
The film found significant recognition on the awards circuit. It won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear in 2020 and earned a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards, cementing its status as one of the year's most important international releases. The production was a co-effort between Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden — a Nordic collaboration that reflects the film's pan-European sensibility. At 116 minutes, Vinterberg takes his time building the world and letting the consequences of the characters' choices unfold gradually, which is part of what makes the film's final act so devastating. The IMDb rating of 7.6/10 reflects a film that audiences found genuinely engaging, even when they disagreed with its conclusions.
What Makes Another Round Stand Out
What's striking about Another Round is that it refuses to make a simple moral argument. You might expect a film about teachers secretly drinking to become a preachy cautionary tale, but Vinterberg's approach is far more nuanced. The early stretches are genuinely funny — there's real charm in watching these middle-aged men rediscover their sense of humor and spontaneity. Mikkelsen, in particular, brings a vulnerability that makes Martin's transformation believable. He's not playing a drunk; he's playing a man who's tasted something he thought was gone forever.
But here's where the film gets under your skin: it never lets you settle into comfort. The experiment works, at least for a while. The teachers do feel more creative, more confident, more alive. That's the trap. What the film understands — and what makes it so much more interesting than a simple "alcohol bad" message — is that the real problem isn't the alcohol itself but what it represents: a refusal to accept the terms of adult life, a desperate grab for something that can't be reclaimed. The performances elevate every moment. Thomas Bo Larsen, in particular, brings an almost tragic dimension to his character's arc. You can see the moment when fun stops being fun, when the experiment becomes a crutch, when the friendship itself becomes strained under the weight of what they're doing.
Reviewers have noted that the film's strength lies entirely in its execution. One critic observed that while the plot itself is somewhat predictable and the message fairly standard, it's the performances and Vinterberg's patient direction that transform familiar material into something that stays with you. The cinematography captures Copenhagen in winter — grey, beautiful, melancholic — which serves as a perfect backdrop for a story about men trying to outrun their own mortality. There's also something deeply Danish about the film's sensibility: a kind of dark humor mixed with genuine existential dread, a willingness to sit with uncomfortable truths rather than resolve them neatly.
Where to Stream Another Round Online
Another Round is widely available across streaming platforms, which makes it easy to catch up on one of the decade's most talked-about international films. You can find it on Netflix, Max, Hulu, and MUBI, among many others. The film is also available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and various rental platforms including Google Play Movies and YouTube. For the most current list of where the film is streaming in your region, check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page — Movie OTT tracks availability across dozens of platforms so you don't have to hunt. If you're a subscriber to any of the major services, there's a good chance Another Round is already included with your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who directed Another Round?
Thomas Vinterberg directed the film, co-writing it with Tobias Lindholm. Vinterberg is known for his meticulous approach to character and performance, and that precision is evident throughout Another Round's 116-minute runtime.
Q: Is Another Round based on a true story?
No, it's an original screenplay. However, the film draws on real social anxieties about middle age, friendship, and the pressure to maintain relevance — themes that feel very grounded even though the specific premise is fictional.
Q: What's the main theme of Another Round?
The film explores friendship, ambition, and the dangerous allure of trying to recapture youth. While it uses alcohol as a literal device, it's really about how people rationalize self-destructive behavior and the ways that social pressure and male friendship can enable denial.
Q: Where can I watch Another Round?
Another Round is available on Netflix, Max, Hulu, MUBI, Prime Video, Apple TV, and numerous other streaming services worldwide. Availability varies by region and subscription type, so check the widget above for your specific options.
Q: What makes Mads Mikkelsen's performance special in this film?
Mikkelsen brings a rare combination of charm and pathos to Martin. He makes the character's initial enthusiasm feel genuine, which makes the film's darker turns all the more affecting. His face tells the story even when the dialogue doesn't.
Final Thoughts on Another Round
Another Round isn't an easy watch, but it's an essential one. It's the kind of film that sticks with you because it doesn't provide easy answers. You'll find yourself thinking about it days later, debating its themes with friends. Vinterberg has made a film about the lie we tell ourselves — that we can go backward, that we can reclaim what's lost, that the answer to feeling stuck is just one more drink. The tragedy isn't that the experiment fails. The tragedy is that it works just well enough to be dangerous. Don't miss it.
