‎Force Majeure (2014) directed by Ruben Östlund • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Force Majeure

2014 ‘Turist’ Directed by Ruben Östlund

While holidaying in the French Alps, a Swedish family deals with acts of cowardliness as an avalanche breaks out.

Lisa Loven Kongsli Johannes Bah Kuhnke Clara Wettergren Vincent Wettergren Brady Corbet Kristofer Hivju Fanni Metelius Karin Myrenberg Johannes Moustos

118 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Matt Singer ★★★★½ 1

This is why I don't go skiing. NEVER GO SKIING YOU GUYS.
Review by Blain LaMotta ★★★★½ 7

A stunning examination of masculinity in crisis and how one split second decision under duress can change the whole infrastructure of a family unit. Increasingly tense dialogue exchanges ensue. It's also surprisingly humorous at times. Some bravura sequences in this sucker too, like the epic avalanche long take, and the stressful, thought-provoking bus ride that closes the film. The scene at the bar with the song Reload playing in the background might be my favorite though. It tells a lot by doing very little. Lots to debate in this one. Authentic performances, restrained direction, and gorgeous cinematography round things out. Any film that can make me question myself deserves all the praise I can muster. Superb job, Ruben Östlund!
Review by Vincent Lao ★★★★ 5

Ruben Östlund's sophisticated, wickedly funny, and intriguing dissection of masculinity, gender roles, marriage, and relationships is irresistibly alive, uncomfortable, yet absolutely clever. Östlund's psychodrama follows a couple and their kids in a ski vacation somewhere in France, but the couple's relationship is severely tested by an avalanche that will trigger their inner demons, as well examine their moral dilemmas.

It's like Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage meets Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with special participation of Haneke's cold precision. Ostlund creates a very warm, emotionally explosive atmosphere even if it's set in a cold, snowy setting. You can't help but squirm and laugh with the characters as well as question your own morals when watching the film. The actors are…
Review by Jonathan White ★★★★ 16

TIFF 2014 Film #3

Reason for pick : Peter Strauss recommendation based on buzz at Cannes.

Guys … we’ve all been there before. You make one ‘teensy’ and she never lets you forget it. Alas, sometimes, well, most times .. ok, all the time we deserve it.

Swedish director Ruben Östlund takes a look the topic of gender roles, reflexes, instinct, honor, and what society expects of us in the face of a sudden crisis. What makes Force Majeure special is how Östlund shifts between tragic and hilarious with such ease, constantly keeping you off balance. Just when you think you’re catching a break, a swift punch to the gut is delivered.

The comedy is blacker than black, and the…
Review by davidehrlich ★★★★ 7

THE LONELIEST PLANET chilled and served family style.

mordantly mirthful riff on the fragility of gender roles that soars to the top of the list of films you should never watch with your partner. so good. still mulling over the last scene, though... which is some heart-in-your-throat cinema, but feels redundant in the wake of the penultimate scene? would be interested to discuss in vague terms.
Review by Dirk van Eck ★★★ 10

That man cry was… horrendous. Really horrendous. A couple with two kids is on a winter sports vacation when on the second day of their skying trip, they have settled for a nice meal in an outdoors restaurant and a controlled avalanche is initiated. That controlled avalanche, however, turns out to be less controlled than it was intended and it almost manages to hit the diner place. Of course the family of four is scared as hell, but when the snowy fog has settled, mother notices that daddy has run away with his gloves and mobile phone, leaving them behind at risk. Some would describe it as an act of cowardliness, others as an abandonment of his family and yet…

Recent reviews

Review by Ben Scanga ★★★★

Reminiscent of Andrew Haigh's 45 Years when it comes to observing a couple who now question their relationship - just this time around it's more snow and crying in ski resort hallways.

Dis sum gooooood shit!
Review by tomwilliams ★★★

The Gang Hits The Slopes
Review by Luthfi ★★★★★

This film changes my life. A hero film about cowardness and guilt. It's tought-provoking and beautiful. The views are wonderful and the story is incredible.
Review by Katherine Sas ★★★★

The Chevy Chase quest for fun speech dramatized.

Edit: No, it's better than that. The dad's initial flat out denial is just... familiar, to say the least.
Review by Carter Moon ★★★★

Man, forced performative masculinity sure is a bitch.
Review by Rumbero ★★★

La verdad es que la película es muy buena, pero no era lo que esperaba y no he terminado de conectar.
Review by martinyfelix ½

Two hours of my life that I can't get back.
Review by TopCat3170 ★★★★★

For the most part, this movie does not have any background music. The reason I mention this is that the modern trend seems to be to treat the viewers like small children, telling them what emotion to feel at any given time using background music. Therefore, in this movie, you are left to your own devices and made to decide how you feel about each of the scenes. Very thought-provoking!
Review by Mateo Ibarra

A movie made to break marriages and question which role (especially the adults) have in the family, what moves them and etc. It's a brilliant film, and love it.
I can really tell how old I was when I watched this movie, maybe I was 12 or 13, therefore I didn't understand why everybody was so shocked about what happen and the reactions they had in the moment, but over the years I've cleared my mind and put each piece in its right place to make the entire puzzle, and now I can understand, and it's pretty moving and kind of sad too.