QUEEN OF HEARTS
Exquisitely composed, Queen of Hearts explores the taboo as a successful lawyer seduces her teenage stepson while stopping at nothing to protect her own reputation.
Mesmerizing from the very first shot, Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy invites audiences to watch, in thrilling trepidation, as the meticulous layers of her erotic drama are slowly peeled away until only unbridled, raw emotion is left. Despite Anne’s (Trine Dyrholm, Nico, 1988) enviable modernist home and idyllic surroundings, she exists behind an icy, calculated façade. A committed lawyer for domestic abuse cases, as well as a wife and mother of two girls, Anne appears to be inspired and content — as long as she is in control. The arrival of her husband’s at-risk teenage son, Gustav (Gustav Lindh), for the summer holiday is simply seen as a minor inconvenience for her home. When a secret between the two is held from Gustav’s father, Anne begins to cultivate a flirtatious friendship with her stepson. Mutual appreciation ignites immense passion as Anne begins to lose control over everything she has accomplished. As each encounter endangers their affair’s discovery, Gustav’s wavering maturity becomes a serious threat to Anne’s reputation and livelihood. Equally steamy and chilling, this Sundance Audience Award winner is a brilliant character study that challenges perception and expectations while cementing lead Dyrholm as one of the greats.
CAST: TRINE DYRHOLM, GUSTAV LINDH, MAGNUS KREPPER, LIV ESMÅR DANNEMANN
In Competition: Narrative Feature Award
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