Overview
A woman's desperate bid for freedom reveals the darkness lurking in a seemingly innocent town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- austere
- oppressive
- disturbing
- serious film discussion
- challenging cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized Dogville as an ambitious and innovative experimental allegory, though its austere form, didacticism, and misanthropic vision sharply divided opinion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dogville's streets, houses, and boundaries are drawn directly onto a bare soundstage floor.
Dogville's residents transform charitable refuge into escalating exploitation while maintaining a self-image of goodness.
Grace's arrival lets the film systematically test the town's ethics under pressure from police and criminal pursuit.
The film frames Grace's ordeal and its consequences through explicit allegorical ideas of sin, judgment, and payback.
Films like Dogville, and why
The Seventh Seal
Shares an austere, allegorical treatment of cruelty, social power, and moral responsibility.
The White Ribbon
Comparable as a formally radical drama examining oppressive communities and human behavior.
The Sacrifice
Like Dogville, uses theatrical abstraction and severe moral inquiry to expose violence beneath social order.
Movie Details
- Director
- Lars von Trier
- Release Date
- 2003-05-21
- Runtime
- 178 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (2785)
Cast
- Nicole Kidman
- Paul Bettany
- John Hurt
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Philip Baker Hall
- Patricia Clarkson
- Ben Gazzara
- Chloë Sevigny
- Siobhan Fallon Hogan
- James Caan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dogville about?
- A fugitive's sanctuary in an ostensibly charitable mountain town becomes a merciless experiment in power, exploitation, and retribution.
- What is Dogville like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dogville as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dogville violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dogville as graphic.
- What did critics think of Dogville?
- Critics broadly recognized Dogville as an ambitious and innovative experimental allegory, though its austere form, didacticism, and misanthropic vision sharply divided opinion.
- Which films are like Dogville?
- Films with a similar feel include The Seventh Seal, The White Ribbon, and The Sacrifice.
- How long is Dogville?
- Dogville runs 178 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dogville?
- In United States, Dogville streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel.
