Company commander Claus Michael Pedersen and his men are stationed in Helmand, Afghanistan. Meanwhile back in Denmark, with a husband at war and three children missing their father, everyday life is a struggle for Claus' wife Maria. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy Taliban crossfire. In order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that ultimately sees him return to Denmark accused of a war crime.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.3/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.57/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 81
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
Tobias Lindholm
Production
AZ Celtic Films, Nordisk Film Denmark, StudioCanal, DR
Cast
Pilou Asbæk, Tuva Novotny, Søren Malling, Charlotte Munck, Dar Salim, Dulfi Al-Jabouri, Alex Høgh Andersen, Jakob Frølund, Phillip Sem Dambæk, Petrine Agger, Martin Tamm Andersen, Christian 'Krølle' Pedersen, Andre Fog Sorensen
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A tense, morally thorny war drama that works best as a study of command responsibility and the cost of split-second decisions. It’s less about battlefield spectacle than the fallout at home and in court, and that restraint gives it real force.
Best for
Viewers who like grounded military dramas
Fans of moral dilemma and courtroom-adjacent conflict
People drawn to Scandinavian realism and handheld naturalism
Audiences who prefer character consequences over combat spectacle
Skip if
You want large-scale action or battlefield set pieces
You prefer clear-cut heroes and villains
You’re looking for an emotionally light or fast-moving war movie
Overview
A War is the kind of war film that refuses easy catharsis. Tobias Lindholm keeps the focus on procedure, pressure, and the unbearable weight of a decision made in seconds, then carried home into family life and legal scrutiny. The result is austere, controlled, and quietly devastating.
Worth noting
What makes it stand out is the split between the front line and Denmark, where the consequences of combat become domestic and bureaucratic at once. That structure gives the film unusual moral texture: it understands that war doesn’t end when the shooting stops, and that accountability can be as punishing as the battlefield.
Bottom line
This is not a rousing combat picture. It’s a serious, human-scale drama with strong performances and a documentary-like sense of immediacy. If you’re interested in war stories that interrogate judgment, duty, and guilt rather than glorify sacrifice, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (3★) · 128 likes
On the road: Danes Horizon: The Land of the Royal Dansks
Dar Salim starred in a war film prior to his work on Guy Ritchie's latest flick, but this time he shares the screen with none other than Euron Greyjoy, who plays a soldier whose action during the war while fighting the Taliban ends up getting him accused of a war crime.
This was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign category, and I can see that. Pilou does… more
Manu0013 (3.5★) · 35 likes
The road to Denmark - the hidden gems ⬅️
A good film that portrays the dilemmas faced by people in the military quite well. After watching ‘The Good Nurse’, ‘A Hijacking’, and now ‘A War’, I can clearly say that Lindholm is a great director.”
Jay (4★) · 34 likes
From that languorous opening shot of soldiers trundling through a dusty and deserted plain, which resembles something out of a classic western, A War oozes peril. It is a war film done right, in which the gunfights and action sequences aren't drowning in machismo and the consequences of decisions made in the heat of the moment aren't agonised over as though they are an academic essay on the moral rights and wrongs of conflict but are instead seen solely through… more From that languorous opening shot of soldiers trundling through a dusty and deserted plain, which resembles something out of a classic western, A War oozes peril. It is a war film done right, in which the gunfights and action sequences aren't drowning in machismo and the consequences of decisions made in the heat of the moment aren't agonised over as though they are an academic essay on the moral rights and wrongs of conflict but are instead seen solely through… more
cinemasauron (3★) · 26 likes
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at 88th Academy Awards, A War (also known as Krigen) is a competently crafted tale that may give the impression of a war drama at first but in actuality is a contemplation of the trail of blood that even a slight mistake in the battlefield can leave behind and follows a two-segment structure that slowly merge into one.
A War tells the story of the commander of a Danish military company who is stationed… more
Antoine Cournoyer (4★) · 19 likes
| 52 weeks challenge 2025 - Week 9 |
| Watched on | My Own BluRay |
76% | 2015 Ranked | March Watchlist/Ranked |
| 1st watch |
Week 9 - Watch an Oscar Best International nominee
| Theme credits | Me |
A War is a powerful film that offers an authentic glimpse into the lives of soldiers during wartime. It explores the complexities of their experiences, including the harsh realities of war, the emotional toll of being… more
1998 · Drama, History, War · 2h 51m · R · Curator 8.5/10 (407.9K ratings)
For a more contemplative war film that treats combat as a philosophical and emotional crisis.
Topics
war drama, moral dilemma, handheld realism, military procedure, family drama, courtroom tension, Afghanistan, Scandinavian cinema, psychological pressure, austerity