As someone who spent the entirety of their twenties and a good chunk of their thirties under the influence of alcohol, I had a strong feeling Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round would prove an especially interesting film. I’m glad I wasn’t wrong, but I am surprised by how much I was able to connect with it and why.
On the one hand, it made me nostalgic for wild drunken nights out, but on the other, it made me steadfast in my contentment with quiet nights in. Depending on your relationship with alcohol, Another Round could mean all sorts of things to all sorts of different people – and for this I admire it. For me personally, I mostly take it as validation for slowing down and seeing life through clearer eyes. However, as little as ten years ago, I’d have gotten a completely different kind of validation from it.
Based on a real-life theory by Norweigan psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, Another Round ponders what life might look like if one were to maintain a constant blood alcohol content of 0.05. According to the theory, remaining half-drunk all day makes you more relaxed, more creative, and a generally happier person – something four Danish school teachers decide to put to the test. As educators, Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), Peter (Lars Ranthe), and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang) resolve to approach their endeavor scientifically, setting a number of ground rules, such as no drinking after 8:00 pm. Almost instantly, their experiment shows positive results, as all four see noticeable improvements in both their home and professional lives – at least for a time.
Perhaps predictably, their steady drinking eventually garners consequences, and as the initial warm buzz of their alcohol-induced study begins to wear off, those consequences hit different members of the group in different ways. Martin, the film’s focus, is at times a level-headed voice of reason and at others a boisterous enabler – a duality that allows Mikkelsen plenty of room to shine in what might be his best performance to date. Martin is a conflicted man who takes a shine to a life uninhibited but can’t decide if this new way of living is worth the cost. Mikkelsen captures this inner conflict with a layered mix of reserved melancholy and unbridled (albeit just out of reach) joy that mimics the highs and lows of a regretful drunk. It’s impressive work, and – from my learned perspective – better portrays the pull of the bottle (especially in social situations) than any film I can think of.
Less impressed with its “mid-life crisis” themes and more with its base examination of how alcohol affects everyday life, Another Round struck a stronger chord with me than I expected it to. In Martin, I find a kindred spirit who struggles with social interaction but is wary of the obvious cure. The film’s exhilarating final moments suggest that Martin has made his ultimate choice, but – again from experience – these kinds of heated decisions often come with consequences not considered at the moment. To this end, Vinterberg and Mikkelsen make it impossible not to wonder what happens to Martin and his friends once the film is over because by then they’ve become cherished drinking buddies. Cue “Here Comes a Regular” by The Replacements.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.