Force Majeure (Turist) (2014)

Comedy, Drama

Director: Ruben Östlund
Writer: Ruben Östlund
Starring: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Vincent Wettergren, Clara Wettergren

An darkly comic, ice-cold Swedish drama about a family torn apart by an act of cowardice.

While vacationing at an upscale ski resort in the French Alps with their kids, a seemingly happy Swedish couple's dynamic is shaken to its core, when confronted by an apparently menacing avalanche that advances towards them while they're having lunch on the balcony of a restaurant. The husband's cowardly response to the incident leaves the wife feeling disappointed, as his unlovely abandonment begins to slowly eat away at their marriage and their relationships seems to disintegrate.

Strikingly original, often extremely funny and visually stunning – it combines majestic Alpine landscapes, kitsch hotel interiors and GoPro-view drone footage – Force Majeure is a refreshing change from the steady cinema diet of mindless thrillers and charmless comedies we are used to.

Plot summary from IMDb: A family on a ski holiday in the French Alps find themselves staring down an avalanche during lunch one day; in the aftermath, their dynamic has been shaken to its core, with a question mark hanging over their patriarch in particular.

Awards: Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 31 wins & 33 nominations.
Runtime: 120 min
R