Has a small town western feel at times...also plays out like a Danish version of a Coen bros. noir...although perhaps that's going too far. It's OK, the plot twists are unexpected and the ending ties it all up nicely with its sinister undertone...you can't get away with everything...

This film is very,very dark. Entertaining though, with a nice twist at the end. I don't think the Skarrild tourist industry will ever recover.

Worse movie I've seen in a while. Boring and ridiculous story, I'm evaluating it so other people don't make the same mistake

Very good performance.

stylish, offbeat. but i didn't like it s'much as i expected to.

Stylish but not altogether engaging.

Very low-key, yet at all times interesting. Some interesting twists.

A naive city cop is reassigned to the boonies after pulling a gun on his cheating wife. After disrupting the natural order of the town, things start to spiral out of control.

Its as if David Lynch has directed a unique, psychological thriller/western that oddly develops on the soggy plains of Copenhagen. "Terribly Happy" is a relentless and expressionless film noir, and may be the best pseudo-western that Denmark has ever sent our way. The plot nudges us to laugh at things that aren't funny, except they are, because we're not that hapless schmuck doing precisely the thing he shouldn't do in the exactly the wrong town. The setting is a remote Danish burg that's as bleak and crummy as most of its residents. Robert (Jakob Cedergren) is a Copenhagen police officer who transfers to a small provincial town to fill the position of the mysteriously vacated Marshall. He wants to be the good guy, but the citizens have their own ways of dispensing justice, and besides, there's a skeleton in Robert's closet - he's been in trouble, and his new assignment is a kind of banishment. The townspeople are a gallery of surly grotesques living in fear of the town bully, Jørgen (Kim Bodnia), who habitually beats his wife, Ingelise (Lene Maria Christensen). She shows Robert her bruises and scars, and comes on to him. She wants his help and then doesn't want it - she's one confused woman. We don't know who's telling the truth, and neither does Robert, who is advised to look the other way. Of course, he doesn't. Opportunities for compromise abound. Robert's big city temperament makes it impossible for him to fit in, or what to make of the bizarre behavior displayed by the town's people. As the storyline unfolds, it grows increasingly desperate and darkly comedic. The unease is undisguised, and you, like Robert, will fight it at first, but eventually be forced to accept it and just give in. Director Genz is perfectly paired with cinematographer Jørgen Johansson who captures the essence of trepidation and misery. To call this a dark comedy may be misleading because you won't be laughing out loud, but the humor keeps an unnerving undercurrent. An offbeat modern noir, and an unusually compelling portrait of a town that has its own sense of justice.

This is exactly the sort of under-the-radar movie I love finding: it's a slightly surreal film noir from Denmark that compares well to the works of the Coen brothers and David Lynch. If that sounds like something that would appeal to you, then let me tell you a little about it. Set in a nowhere town in Denmark that apparently has a population of about twenty people, the movie begins with a Copenhagen cop being set to serve as town marshal, in punishment for some unspecified transgression back in the city. In true noir fashion, a number of problems immediately rear their heads: a married woman tells the cop that her husband beats her (and she seems ready to seduce the cop), the abusive husband is threatening towards the cop, and everyone else in the town seems vaguely creepy and conspiratorial. This movie is one of the best examples of the principle that, though noir may have its origins in 1940s Los Angeles, it can happen anywhere at anytime. The cast consists entirely of Danish actors you've never heard of before, of course, but they are generally really good. Jakob Cedergren is very reserved as the cop Robert, which is perhaps appropriate given how carefully Robert has to tread in this weird town he doesn't understand. Kim Bodnia is terrific as the cruel and abusive husband - we never fully get to understand the character, but Bodnia suggests enough to be frightening. Lene Maria Christensen, while not quite the embodiment of the classic noir femme fatale, is very good as the ambiguous, unreadable wife. And Lars Brygmann is quietly sardonic as a doctor who tries to make Robert understand how the town works. From a filmmaking perspective, this movie is really well-done and atmospheric. The opening montage, which strongly resembles the opening montage of No Country for Old Men, establishes the setting and mood quite effectively. A couple of climactic scenes reach delirious, wrenching heights of "oh-God-this-is-a-disaster" noir goodness. The cinematography, by Jorgen Johansson, is extremely moody and coats everything in an air of lurid desolation. The movie was directed by Henrik Ruben Genz and based on a novel by Erling Jepsen, and their vision together resembles many of the aesthetic sensibilities of the Coen brothers, though perhaps with less obvious philosophical import. I always love when a movie knows exactly when to use an extreme close-up to show the unnoticed blood right under someone's shoe.

Danish Coen Brothers, Terribly Happy entertained me throughout the whole film!

This awesome thriller has more twists and turns that you can imagine. It's a true psychological thriller reminiscent of Blood Simple or A Simple Plan. It borrows heavily from film noir as well. Especially when it comes to our main hero. He's as flawed as the rest of them. The proper Danish translation of the title is more appropriate: Terribly Lucky. Thematically, it reminds me a little of Sweet Hereafter. Definitely one of the best thrillers in recent years and being a Dane myself, I'm happy there's some good films coming out of the country as of late.

Deeply disappointing!

How would you like to watch a Danish film noir/classic western with some elements of a good twilight zone episode tossed in for good measure? Intrigued yet? Well you should be, director Genz's film Terribly Happy is such a fun watch, it will almost make you forget your reading subtitles. While part of the wave of Scandinavian imports to resonate with American Audiences recently, like the films Troll Hunter, Let the Right One In and the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Terribly Happy is its own unique beast. Robert (Jakob Cedergren) is a police officer from Denmark, that has been reassigned to a small Danish hamlet. Robert is sent to serve a penance after making some mistakes in Copenhagen. South Jutland where Robert finds himself is a spartan land, filled with bogs, mud, cows and rubber boots. The local townspeople welcome Robert with less than open arms. It appears South Jutland is a town where people take care of their own, it's a rural one bar, one shop, one doctor place where everyone knows everyone elses business yet keeps to themselves. The first friendly face Robert sees is that of Ingerlise (Lene Maria Christensen), the wife of the local bully Jorgen (Kim Bodnia). Ingerlise confides in Robert that she is being abused, but she is reluctant to do anything about her situation. The townspeople are well aware what is going on in town, but have their own views of both Ingerlise and Jorgen. Will Robert compromise his own moral compass to fit in with the town provincial societal norms? Director Genz creates a dark intimidating atmosphere that permeates every inch of the screen. The characters are multidimensional leaving you to question and reassess their motivations and actions as the film progresses. The blending of several classic genres, western, noir and dark comedy, is achieved in no small part to the wonderful dialogue, and cinematography in the film. The characters seem real, albeit exceedingly creepy and your sense of right and wrong will be put to the test. There has been a lot of talk of remaking this film in the United States. Director Genz has signed on for the project, however details about the project seems to have dried up since early in 2010. It's interesting to note that Terribly Happy is supposedly based on a true story. Novel writer, and eccentric Erling Jepsen claims the story is based on a distant aunt and uncle. If you get a chance check out the bonus features, to watch an amazing interview with Genz and Jespen, where Jespen slaps Genz several times causing him to walk out of the interview. Fans of the Cohen Brothers films, David Lynch, and modern film noir in general will find a lot to enjoy about Terribly Happy. The film is a dark and memorable addition to the fine films that have been coming from Scandinavia in recent years. Upon viewing its easy to see why the film was nominated for, and claimed so many international film festival awards. Head on down to South Jutland and give Terribly Happy a watch just don't forget to bring your rubber boots and a loaded pistol. Like what you see here? Then check out our full review at 3guys1movie.com

I mean, if you are into these slick foreign thrillers that are so desperately trying to live up to their American influences (in the case of "Terribly Happy" it's the Coen Brothers) who are not concerned with forging their own identity then you will certainly enjoy this.... but I didn't, really.

If "Fargo" and "Winter's Bone" met in Denmark they would be "Terribly Happy".

title is a bit of a misnomer as nobody is happy where

this movie was definitely an interesting watch. It had a western feel to it. Interesting to see some parallels to some American films. It might be a language barrier, but I feel like I might've lost some of the feelings in the translation. There was also so much more the story could've done with the bog. What was that bog about anyways?

I've seen elements of this film before, but nothing quite like the whole. The ending is a bit predictable, but the dark journey is full of unforeseen turns.

Seems like it could be a coehn brother movie. It is worth reading subtitles for and its on netflix streaming right now.