How much is too much?

71-Another-Round Another Round (Danish, 2020)

Boring jobs, less-than-exciting lives and a midlife crisis that is staring them in the face prompt school teachers Martin (a fantastic Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy, Peter, and Nikolaj to embark on an experiment with alcohol, proposed by Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skarderud. The experiment involves maintaining a certain level of blood alcohol content throughout the day, as Skarderud observed that human beings are born with an alcohol deficiency in the blood. Therefore, increasing the alcohol level would make them more poised and relaxed.

The experiment begins as a fun ride. The friends realise that with their inhibitions lowered at every hour of the day, they are able to get more out of life. This tempts them to take the experiment further, and soon they start binge-drinking. The friends find it hard to function normally; the habit threatens to ruin everything they hold dear.

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round, which won the award for best international feature film at the 93rd Oscars, is a cautionary tale of the perils of over-indulgence. Despite the occasional moral high ground taken by the director, Another Round is a film that has universal appeal.

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