--- title: "Another Round: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/another-round/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/another-round" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 29 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Another Round (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 29 reviews: 20 positive, 6 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics warm to Another Round, and the praise gathers in two places. The first is Mads Mikkelsen, whose performance as Martin is repeatedly called subtle and expressive, carrying the film to a closing sequence even the doubters admire. The second is balance: the reviews credit Thomas Vinterberg with moving between comedy and melancholy without letting the film become either a celebration of drinking or a lecture against it. Thomas Bo Larsen’s Tommy draws a smaller share of the admiration. The reservations cluster on what the film thinks about its own premise. The Guardian finds it provocative but unsure what it wants to say about alcohol; the sharper dissents go further: Variety calls it muddled, sliding from a bold experiment into a familiar cautionary drama, and Deadline feels it settles for a conventional ending without testing its central theory. The spread is wide, from five-star raves to outright dismissals, though nearly everyone, whatever their verdict, likes the dancing. ## Radio Times — Emma Simmonds Rating 5/5. Simmonds calls the comedy drama conceptually irresistible. She singles out its premise of teachers experimenting with controlled inebriation as especially compelling. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-oirwcm/another-round/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2021. Freer finds the film funny, rich and clear-eyed, praising its nuanced movement between comedy and melancholy. He especially singles out Mads Mikkelsen’s performance and transcendent final moments. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/another-round/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2020. Chang finds the film a persuasive, joyous and melancholic midlife-crisis comedy that treats drinking as both escape and a risky route to renewed purpose. He singles out Mads Mikkelsen’s emotionally subtle, physically exuberant performance and the film’s musical energy for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-12-03/another-round-review-mads-mikkelsen) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B+. 12 September 2020. Festival review. Kohn finds the film furious and sad but ultimately hopeful, praising the potency of Vinterberg and Mikkelsen’s collaboration. He singles out Mikkelsen’s layered performance and climactic dance as especially compelling. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/another-round-review-mads-mikkelsen-1234585946/) ## Little White Lies — Ella Kemp Rating 3/4/4. 30 June 2021. Kemp finds the film far more than a gaudy comedy, balancing its rousing fun with a sobering warning about holding onto what matters. She particularly praises Thomas Bo Larsen’s heartbreaking performance as Tommy. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/another-round) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2020. The critic finds the film joyful, melancholic and wise, praising its rueful warmth and nuanced portrayal of male friendship. Its ambivalent take on drinking and midlife gives the story life beyond a simple cautionary tale. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/another-round-thomas-vinterberg-mads-mikkelsen-drinking-buddies-mid-life-alcohol) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 3 December 2020. Dowd finds the film refreshingly balanced, neither celebrating drinking without consequence nor reducing it to a cautionary tale. He particularly praises Mads Mikkelsen’s subtle performance, which gives the story’s emotional arc texture beyond cliché. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/mads-mikkelsen-gets-smashed-on-life-and-booze-in-the-1845795829) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 3/4. 18 September 2020. The review finds the film poignant and effective, while noting that its satire of alcohol culture could have been developed further. It especially praises Mads Mikkelsen’s deeply lived-in performance and the camera’s clear-eyed attention to drinking’s allure and damage. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-another-round-honestly-and-poignantly-grapples-with-alcohols-pull/) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2020. Festival review. Halligan describes the film as compelling but sobering. The accessible page does not reveal what she singles out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/another-round-toronto-review/5152871.article) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2021. Newland finds the film compellingly ambivalent about drinking rather than a simple cautionary tale or celebration. She especially praises Vinterberg’s decision to leave viewers to decide how much is too much. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/another-round-review-an-intoxicating-trip-through-a-mid-life-crisis-1081387) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2020. Lane finds Another Round absorbing and compelling, though its drinking comedy is difficult to watch and its focus sometimes wavers between the ensemble and Martin. He especially praises Mads Mikkelsen’s expressive performance, which draws the viewer into Martin’s melancholy. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/21/planned-alcoholism-in-another-round-and-weaponized-camp-in-the-prom) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page did not load, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is available from the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/another-round-movie-review-2020) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2020. Festival review. Dalton finds the film an appealing, engaging ensemble piece, though its treatment of alcohol feels conventional and not especially profound. He particularly praises Mads Mikkelsen’s nimble dancing and the film’s bright, irreverent visual style. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/another-round-druk-film-review-tiff-2020-4059321/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2020. The page is identified as a review of the matching film, but its text is inaccessible. I cannot determine the critic’s verdict or what they singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/movies/another-round-review.html) ## Time Out — Stephen A Russell Rating 3/5. 11 February 2021. The review presents the film as a tragicomic story of teachers acting out. It singles out Mads Mikkelsen as magnetic. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/another-round) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2021. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the film provocative but uncertain about what it wants to say about drinking. He praises the persuasive performances, especially Mads Mikkelsen’s, while noting that drunkenness eventually looks ruinous. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/13/another-round-review-mads-mikkelsen-anchors-boozy-tragicomedy) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2020. Gleiberman finds the film frustrating and muddled, criticizing its shift from a provocative drinking experiment into a familiar cautionary melodrama. He praises Mads Mikkelsen’s final jazz ballet scene as having the life force the rest of the movie lacks. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/another-round-review-mads-mikkelsen-thomas-vinterberg-1234768666/) ## The Skinny — Anahit Behrooz Rating ★★★★★. 28 June 2021. The review finds the film compassionate and warmly funny, an evocative portrait of everyday life. It praises the intimate direction and emotionally astute performances for giving the teachers’ friendship depth. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/another-round) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 9.4/10. 16 December 2020. Crump finds the film surprisingly joyful and perceptive about how drinking can mask deeper troubles. He especially praises Mads Mikkelsen’s balance of regret and exhilaration, culminating in a dazzling dance-like burst. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mads-mikkelsen/another-round-review) ## Polygon — Karen Han Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2020. Festival review. Karen Han praises Another Round as a fresh, affecting take on midlife crisis, with a cathartic but not simply happy ending. She singles out Mads Mikkelsen’s subtle, expressive performance as the film’s greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/18/21446007/another-round-review-mads-mikkelsen-thomas-vinterberg-tiff-2020/) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2020. Goble finds the film intoxicating, funny, and self-aware, praising its defiant balance of comedy and heartbreak. He singles out Mads Mikkelsen’s warm, nuanced performance as the film’s driving force. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2020/12/film-review-another-round/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2020. The critic finds the film thoughtful, incisive and empathetic, balancing humor with a clear-eyed view of substance abuse. They particularly praise Mads Mikkelsen’s subtle performance and the finale’s brilliant, bittersweet closing sequence. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/another-round-film-review-mads-mikkelsen/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2020. Wilkinson finds the film absorbing and admirably balanced in its treatment of friendship and alcohol. She particularly praises the cinematography’s loose, observant style and the performances’ thoughtful energy. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/another-round-2020-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film an engaging, funny and ultimately sobering watch, though its resolution may feel slow. It particularly praises the chaotic drinking scenes and Thomas Bo Larsen’s portrayal of Tommy. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/another-round-review-booze-fuelled-comedy-about-the-dangers-of-excess-2984103) ## Collider — Thomas Butt Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 June 2024. Butt finds the film an engaging, bittersweet examination of binge drinking that resists easy conclusions. He especially praises Mads Mikkelsen’s performance and the final dance sequence’s ability to convey both exhilaration and grief. [Read the review](https://collider.com/another-round-movie/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2020. Nayman finds the film an effective, bittersweet portrait of men chasing the freedom of youth, though its emotional button-pushing sometimes feels excessive. He especially praises Mads Mikkelsen’s graceful, compelling lead performance, which carries the film to its triumphant finale. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/09/movies/mads-mikkelsen-another-round-review) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2020. Festival review. The page is identified as a TIFF review, but its text is blocked. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/another-round-tiff-review-20200916/) ## Deadline — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2020. McCarthy finds the film’s promising exploration of drinking ultimately settles for a conventional conclusion. He praises Mads Mikkelsen’s exuberant dance sequence, but feels the film does not sufficiently explore its central theory. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2020/12/another-round-film-review-mads-mikkelsen-thomas-vinterberg-denmark-1234636156/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film engaging but structurally flimsy, with an ineffective upbeat conclusion. They praise the realism and strong performances in its scenes of drunkenness. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/another-round-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/another-round.md