The Promised Land

R

Released Feb 2

2h 7m

History

Drama

TRAILER

for The Promised Land: Trailer 1

List

97%

Tomatometer

128 Reviews

95%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.

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Critics Consensus

Mads Mikkelson leads us through the savage terrain of The Promised Land with a glimmer of hope in this epic Nordic tale with Western bones.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

There are times in the impressive Danish historical drama The Promised Land where Dr Lecter peeks from the eyes of the main character...

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 27, 2024

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

The anti-immigrant and Romani sentiment expressed by Danes in 1755, although tinged with superstition, sounds eerily familiar. Mostly, though, The Promised Land, in common with its hero, ploughs a furrow as a rough-hewn costumed adventure.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 24, 2024

Full Review

Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

The only problem here is that the whole ends up feeling a bit didactic and leaning towards the narrative style of Hollywood simplicity, yet does not take away from the power of a film that definitely deserves to be seen. [Full review in Spanish]

Feb 20, 2024

Full Review

Robert W. Butler

Butler's Cinema Scene

Terrific cinematography (Rasmus Videbaek) and utterly convincing production design (Jette Lehmann) mark this intimate epic.

Rated: B

Jul 5, 2024

Full Review

Ray Pride

Newcity

Thrilling, shapely, pleasingly nasty epic, a ravishing Danish Western with savagery in its trim bones. Mads Mikkelsen is the sulk center screen, handsome visage made for melodrama... Pride kills; Mikkelsen thrills.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 4, 2024

Full Review

Nelson Acosta

Koimoi

Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Arcel join forces again to tell a fantastic story of hardship and family in a time when nothing was assured.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2024

Full Review

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Gray S

Fantastic, evocative, timely story, beautifully told.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/24

Full Review

Janis

Great story and actors. Very sad story but realistic about life in the 1700s . Written well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Riley A

To date, this is my personal favorite movie. It’s almost too good, Mads Mikkelson top tier performance, it’s like a stew of perseverance, hardship, sacrifice, determination, anger, and at the bottom of the bowl you find out what really matters.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/10/24

Full Review

Daniel C

“Great Movie”. Mads says more with a stare than most actors can express with the best written dialogue.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/07/24

Full Review

mark g

great movie well acted and landscapes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/06/24

Full Review

Kenneth P

This film ranks as one of the finest movies I've ever seen. Wonderfully filmed, moving storyline and great acting. I found the subtitles much better than horribly dubbed english which I always find distracting. If you're a fan of great movie making and storytelling, this is a must watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

Full Review

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Nikolaj Arcel

Director

Mads Mikkelsen

Ludvig Kahlen

Amanda Collin

Ann Barbara

Gustav Lindh

Anton Eklund

Melina Hagberg

Actor

Kristine Kujath Thorp

Edel Helene

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Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2023

The Promised Land: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Producer: Louise Vesth
Screenwriter: Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Zentropa Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Bloody Violence|Some Sexuality)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $256.3K
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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