Overview
A soldier's journey through uncharted lands reveals the harsh realities of colonization and the human spirit's resilience.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- somber
- austere
- harrowing
- serious movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, visually striking historical drama anchored by Mads Mikkelsen’s commanding performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ludvig Kahlen’s effort to cultivate the Jutland heath is driven by a desire for status and recognition, repeatedly straining his relationships.
The salty, uncultivated Jutland terrain dominates the film’s imagery and makes farming an exhausting test of endurance.
Kahlen’s royal-backed settlement project provokes Frederik de Schinkel, whose local aristocratic power is threatened by the newcomer.
The cultivation of wild Jutland is presented alongside competing claims to land, social hierarchy, and the treatment of marginalized people.
Films like The Promised Land, and why
There Will Be Blood
shared historical drama, harsh frontier landscape, social hierarchy, and determined outsider protagonist
The Revenant
shared period setting, class conflict, austere atmosphere, and morally pressured central performance
A Royal Affair
shared Danish historical drama, bleak rural setting, and themes of ambition, power, and human resilience
The New World
shared historical epic scale, colonial power dynamics, and emotionally restrained tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Nikolaj Arcel
- Release Date
- 2023-10-05
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (649)
Cast
- Mads Mikkelsen
- Amanda Collin
- Simon Bennebjerg
- Kristine Kujath Thorp
- Gustav Lindh
- Jacob Lohmann
- Morten Hee Andersen
- Magnus Krepper
- Søren Malling
- Morten Burian
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Promised Land about?
- A driven former soldier battles aristocratic power and an unforgiving Jutland landscape to establish a farm in 18th-century Denmark.
- What is The Promised Land like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Promised Land as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Promised Land violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Promised Land as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Promised Land?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, visually striking historical drama anchored by Mads Mikkelsen’s commanding performance.
- Which films are like The Promised Land?
- Films with a similar feel include There Will Be Blood, The Revenant, A Royal Affair, and The New World.
- How long is The Promised Land?
- The Promised Land runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Promised Land?
- In United States, The Promised Land streams on Hulu.
