The Absent One
A prickly Copenhagen cold-case detective and his unconventional partner confront the buried crimes of an elite boarding school.
Overview
A gripping investigation unfolds as two detectives delve into a chilling cold case from the past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- foreboding
- paranoid
- late night viewing
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a taut, atmospheric Scandinavian crime thriller with strong performances and effective suspense, while finding it somewhat less accomplished than its predecessor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The cold-case inquiry in the present alternates with events at the boarding school during the 1990s.
The investigation centers on crimes connected to one of Denmark's prestigious boarding schools and its influential social world.
An ex-cop's desperate appeal and suicide force Carl and Assad to reopen a decades-old case involving traumatized survivors.
The Danish police procedural uses a grim cold-case mystery, terse detectives, and oppressive revelations associated with nordic noir.
Films like The Absent One, and why
The Keeper of Lost Causes
shared nordic noir atmosphere, cold-case investigation, institutional abuse themes, and brooding police partnership
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
shared Scandinavian crime mystery, nonlinear investigation, social trauma, and bleak institutional setting
Headhunters
shared procedural suspense, unresolved past crimes, traumatized characters, and dark Scandinavian atmosphere
Insomnia
shared cold-case structure, oppressive mood, and detectives confronting hidden crimes from the past
Movie Details
- Director
- Mikkel Nørgaard
- Release Date
- 2014-10-02
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (710)
Cast
- Nikolaj Lie Kaas
- Fares Fares
- Pilou Asbæk
- David Dencik
- Danica Ćurčić
- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina
- Johanne Louise Schmidt
- Marco Ilsø
- Beate Bille
- Peter Christoffersen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Absent One about?
- A prickly Copenhagen cold-case detective and his unconventional partner confront the buried crimes of an elite boarding school.
- What is The Absent One like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Absent One as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Absent One violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Absent One as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Absent One?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a taut, atmospheric Scandinavian crime thriller with strong performances and effective suspense, while finding it somewhat less accomplished than its predecessor.
- Which films are like The Absent One?
- Films with a similar feel include The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Headhunters, and Insomnia.
- How long is The Absent One?
- The Absent One runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Absent One?
- In United States, The Absent One streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now.
