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great film.

Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #217 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Four teachers test a theory that maintaining a small amount of alcohol in the bloodstream improves life.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Copenhagen teachers Martin, Tommy, Peter, and Nikolaj test a theory that humans function better with a constant low blood-alcohol level. Initial rules and professional improvements encourage them to raise the target, bringing private vulnerabilities into the experiment.

Why it belongs

Thomas Vinterberg moves from convivial experiment to uneasy self-exposure, with Mikkelsen's contained Martin making intoxication both liberation and risk.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Handheld classrooms, group dinners, measured breath tests, music, and changing physical behavior give the premise observational texture. Mads Mikkelsen's dancer's body exposes Martin's repression and release without simplifying alcohol into cure or curse.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards1 win2021 · official ceremony record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

No headline-category win to name

BAFTA1 win2021 · official BAFTA 2021 Film Awards results ↗

Plus 1 additional win

No headline-category win to name

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness8.7
Engagement9.2
Ease8.9

Danish · R
Narrative Feature
Mood: Funny & Bittersweet