AllMovie

With this tense, visceral thriller, Danish director Ole Bornedal meditates on the fury and violence that can so easily manifest themselves as the product of extreme small town xenophobia. Lasse Rimmer stars as Johannes, a husband and father who leaves the familiar city with his wife Pernille and their two children in tow, and relocates to the country town where he grew up years prior. Shortly after the family arrives, Johannes's alcoholic brother Lars accidentally runs over Anna (Lone Lindorff), a local girl - then evilly plants false evidence indicating that a local immigrant, Alain (Bojan Navojec) is guilty. Johannes recognizes his brother's guilt and thus opts to defend Alain - but little can he foresee the vile disapproval, intransigent judgment and revenge-fueled mentalities that surface in the townspeople and will soon thrust his family members into their own personal hell.