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Poster for Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark

Seen it?

2000 | 140 min | Drama, Crime

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Audiences rate it highly (7.8 out of 10), it drew serious awards attention and it was a solid box office hit. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved The Asphalt Jungle or Catch Me If You Can, start here.
The mood
Dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 20 min.
What might put you off
Rated R: expect violence.

Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her young son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life becomes increasingly difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    70% on Rotten Tomatoes, 63 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesStrong

    7.8 out of 10

  • AwardsStrong

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actress. Won 2 Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Awards: Best Foreign Film, Independent Spirit Awards: Outstanding Foreign Language Film. Also nominated for 1 Oscar and 2 Golden Globes. Plus 13 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerStrong

    $46 million worldwide on a $13 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 308K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Lars von Trier

  • BjörkSelma Jezkova
  • Catherine DeneuveKathy
  • David MorseBill Houston
  • Peter StormareJeff
  • Joel GreyOldrich Novy
  • Cara SeymourLinda Houston
  • Vladica KosticGene Jezkova
  • Jean-Marc BarrNorman
  • Vincent PatersonSamuel
  • Siobhan Fallon HoganBrenda