Watch Winter Brothers

Winter Brothers is a Danish film released in 2017, directed by Hlynur Palmason. The film revolves around the life of two brothers living and working in a limestone mine in rural Denmark. Both brothers, Emil and Johan, are socially awkward and have difficulty fitting in with their coworkers. Emil is a shy, introverted man who spends most of his time alone, while Johan is more outgoing but often acts inappropriately.

The film's narrative is divided into several different interconnected stories that explore different aspects of the brother's lives. One of the main plot points centers on Emil's attempts to forge a relationship with a female coworker named Anna, who he is infatuated with. Another storyline follows Johan as he tries to win a bet by drinking the most moonshine during a gathering with fellow miners.

Throughout the film, we see the brothers struggle with their own personal demons and their relationship with each other. Johan is resentful of Emil, who he views as a burden, while Emil lives in fear of his brother's violent outbursts. The tension between the two brothers comes to a head when Emil discovers that Johan has been stealing from him, leading to a violent confrontation.

The film is shot in an unconventional manner, using a combination of close-up shots, extreme close-ups, and wide-angle shots to create a sense of intimacy with the characters. The cinematography is stunning, capturing the bleak beauty of the Danish countryside and the starkness of the mine where the brothers work.

Winter Brothers is a slow-burning and introspective film that is not for everyone. Its deliberately slow pace and lack of conventional plot structure may be off-putting to some viewers. However, for those who are willing to invest the time, the film offers a fascinating and visceral look at the lives of two brothers living on the fringes of society. The movie is an intense character study exploring the consequences of toxic masculinity and the difficulties of finding a place in society when one doesn't fit in.

The acting in the film is superb, particularly from leads Elliott Crosset Hove and Simon Sears, who deliver subtle and nuanced performances. Their portrayals of the two brothers are nuanced and realistic, and they effectively convey the complexity of their relationships with each other and the other characters in the film.

One of the standout elements of the film is the use of sound. The film's soundtrack is striking, consisting of a combination of industrial noises, music, and dialogue snippets that are not always easy to understand. This creates a surreal and dream-like atmosphere that adds to the film's alienating nature.

Overall, Winter Brothers is a haunting and thought-provoking film that rewards those who are willing to give themselves over to its unconventional style. It is a film that is not easily forgotten and offers a unique and powerful cinematic experience.

Winter Brothers is a 2018 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4 and a MetaScore of 63.