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Poster for The Absent One

The Absent One

Seen it?

2014 | 116 min | Thriller

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

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

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Tense.
The pace
Fast-moving, at 1 hr 56 min.
What might put you off
It's in Danish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

Denmark, 2014. A former police officer asks Carl Mørck, head of Department Q, to find out who brutally killed his young twins in 1994. Although a local inhabitant confessed and was convicted of murder, Carl and his partner Assad soon realize that there is something in the case resolution that is terribly wrong.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 61 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.0 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $12 million worldwide on a $6 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 29K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard

  • Nikolaj Lie KaasCarl Mørck
  • Fares FaresHafez el-Assad
  • Pilou AsbækDitlev Pram
  • David DencikUlrik Dybbøl
  • Danica ĆurčićKirsten Marie 'Kimmie' Lassen
  • Sarah-Sofie BoussninaKimmie som ung
  • Johanne Louise SchmidtRose Knudsen
  • Marco IlsøDitlev som ung
  • Beate BilleThelma
  • Peter ChristoffersenAlberg