Overview
A young man grapples with love and self-discovery during a chaotic holiday season.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- sardonic
- irreverent
- awkward
- arthouse movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a sharp, energetic, and unusually candid Icelandic comedy about sexual confusion and arrested maturity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hlynur is thirty, unemployed, dependent on his mother, and initially avoids commitment and responsibility.
Hlynur's sexual encounter with Lola becomes entangled with his mother's relationship and household.
Hlynur spends his time drinking, watching porn, surfing the internet, and moving through Reykjavík's nightlife.
The film follows an unemployed, sexually confused protagonist amid Reykjavík's nightlife and domestic subcultures.
Films like 101 Reykjavik, and why
The Mother and the Whore
awkward sexual comedy, emotional immaturity, and unconventional family dynamics
L'Appartement
deadpan relationship comedy centered on commitment avoidance and adult dysfunction
Weekend
lgbtq+ romance, comic discomfort, and candid treatment of sexuality
Movie Details
- Director
- Baltasar Kormákur
- Release Date
- 2000-05-31
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (137)
Cast
- Victoria Abril
- Hilmir Snær Guðnason
- Hanna María Karlsdóttir
- Þrúður Vilhjálmsdóttir
- Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson
- Gudmundur Thorvaldsson
- Baltasar Kormákur
- Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir
- Jóhann Sigurðarson
Common questions
- What is 101 Reykjavik about?
- An aimless Reykjavík thirtysomething is forced into painful self-recognition when sex, family secrets, and unexpected pregnancy collapse his carefree routine.
- What is 101 Reykjavik like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 101 Reykjavik as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 101 Reykjavik violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in 101 Reykjavik.
- What did critics think of 101 Reykjavik?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a sharp, energetic, and unusually candid Icelandic comedy about sexual confusion and arrested maturity.
- Which films are like 101 Reykjavik?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mother and the Whore, L'Appartement, and Weekend.
- How long is 101 Reykjavik?
- 101 Reykjavik runs 88 minutes.
