Another Round (2020)

Another Round is that rare film that can make you laugh, wince, and feel unexpectedly seen, all in the same breath—a midlife comedy-drama with the pulse of a party and the ache of a hangover. Thomas Vinterberg directs with a sure hand, letting the premise play as mischievous wish-fulfillment at first, then shading it with harder truths, while Mads Mikkelsen gives a performance so alive you can practically watch a man’s spirit flicker back on. The tone is buoyant but never glib, finding real warmth in friendship and real danger in the escape it tempts you with, and it builds toward an ending that lands like a cathartic exhale. It’s not for anyone looking for a simple anti-booze lecture or a carefree romp—alcohol is constant and the emotions get heavy—but if you want a film that’s funny, human, and bracingly honest, this one stays with you.

Another Round is clearly aiming to be a lively, thought-provoking look at midlife stagnation and the seductive “reset button” of alcohol, mixing comedy with creeping dread as the experiment evolves. When it works, it’s thanks to Thomas Vinterberg’s grounded direction and Mads Mikkelsen’s quietly magnetic performance, which give the story real human texture. But the film can feel tonally slippery—never fully committing to satire or tragedy—so if you want a clean emotional arc or a sharper thesis, it may land softer than you’d hope and leave some characters feeling a bit undercooked. And if alcohol-heavy stories (with escalating recklessness and dark turns) aren’t your idea of a good time, this isn’t one to “just throw on” expecting a breezy comedy-drama.