Popular reviews

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  Review by Anna ★★★★ 5

  Kirsten Dunst representing depression and not being bothered by the upcoming end of the world? relatable.

  Charlotte Gainsbourg representing anxiety and freaking out because of the upcoming end of the world? also relatable.

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  Review by Kurdt ★★★★ 11

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  Von Trier apparently got the idea for this film while battling depression and he definitely nails that feeling with the character of Justine. During the first half of the film, the wedding, her own wedding, the happiest day of their lives for most people, she forces out toothy grins and fakes happiness ("I smile, and I smile, and I smile") but in the end can't fake it any longer. She leaves her wedding to put her nephew to bed, to take a bath, to ride a golf cart so she can see the blushing sky. People beg her to be grateful and to enjoy her special day ("You better be goddamn happy.") and question why she's depressed. But Von Trier…

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  Review by maria ★★★★ 7

  lars von trier, thanks for the depression luv

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  Review by Grooveman ★★★★★ 23

  The feel bad movie of the year! I think Von Trier's next movie should be about puppies.

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  Review by Kat ★★★★ 4

  some of those dramatic hand-held close-ups made me feel like I was watching the office

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  Review by alicja ★★★★½ 1

  kirsten dunst taking a nap AND a bath in the middle of her wedding is a huge fucking mood

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  Review by #1 gizmo fan ★★★★½ 3

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  I would like to hold hands with kirsten dunst as the world ends.

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  Review by Edgar Cochran ★★★★ 19

  "The film needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts."
  -Andrei Tarkovsky

  An enigmatic feature with wannabe Tarkovskian cinematography, planetary imagery, a classical score and a high-budget-looking Dogme style? Trier must be out of his mind!

  Not quite.

  Melancholia's two very first shots are references to cinematic influences:

  - The first pays respect to L'année dernière à Marienbad (1961).
  - The second shot displays the famous painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder entitled Jagers in de Sneeuw (The Hunters in the Snow), previously featured in two Tarkovsky masterpieces.

  The film feels, above all, as an attempt to fix the evident…

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  Review by ˗ˏˋ Liam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★½ 4

  we going ✈️ existential crisis lads

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  Review by Scott Anderson ★★★★ 15

  Typically I can find the words to describe how I feel regarding a film as the credits are still rolling on the screen. My mind builds up various thoughts throughout and I cannot wait to unleash them as soon as possible, but I had to sleep on Melancholia before typing up this review. In fact, I'm still not quite sure if I am ready.

  A graceful and fascinating look at a subject like depression, I found moments within the film that were utterly spellbinding, and in those moments I was sure I was in love with this work by Von Trier. However, every so often I was forced to question whether the nature of the storytelling and the pacing of…

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  Review by Lara Pop ★★★★ 27

  The fact that Justine smiled all throughout her wedding night (1 hour of cinematic runtime) but smiled her only REAL smile with a little boy asking about magic caves (2 seconds of cinematic runtime) tells you more about depression and unhappiness in general than the most precise psychological analysis ever could. Because all we ever need is a magic cave where we can hide out together with those who understand us. The cave won't protect us from the all-consuming onrush of Melancholia, but it will provide a place where we can hold hands and be at peace with the world, other people, and ourselves. A home built from the tree of the collective unconscious whose branches unite at the top to form a temporary refuge against the perpetual unknown and unknowable: Melancholia itself.

  Melancholia

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  Review by Brendan Michaels ★★★★★

  devastating. the loneliest film ever made. justine has disassociated from the world, but can you really blame her? no one truly cares for her, everyone is out for their own self interests. it only takes the end of the world to bring her some connection to people. i don’t think there’s been a better film made about depression ever or since.