Antichrist (2009)
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The story
After their infant son, Nic, dies in a tragic accident, a man and his wife retreat to a secluded cabin in the woods called Eden to cope with their grief. The man, a therapist, attempts to treat his wife's escalating mental distress through exposure therapy in the wilderness. However, the isolation of the forest begins to take a toll on both of them. As they navigate the haunting landscape, the woman's mental state deteriorates into a frantic, manic condition, while the man begins to experience unsettling, supernatural visions. Their shared trauma and the eerie atmosphere of the woods create a volatile environment where their relationship is pushed to its breaking point.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After their infant son, Nic, dies in a tragic accident, a man and his wife retreat to a secluded cabin in the woods called Eden. The man, a therapist, attempts to treat his wife's escalating mental distress through exposure therapy in the wilderness. As they stay in the cabin, the woman becomes increasingly grief-stricken and manic, while the man experiences unsettling visions of a speaking fox and a sense of impending doom. The woman eventually reveals she believes all women are inherently evil and that she intentionally allowed her son to fall. In a violent confrontation, she attacks the man, and he is left incapacitated. She later rescues him but remains in a state of ritualistic madness, eventually performing self-mutilation. After a final confrontation involving the 'Three Beggars'—a crow, a deer, and a fox—the man finally manages to free himself and strangles her to death. The film ends with him walking away from the cabin as a procession of women appears in the distance.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- Denmark; France; Germany; Poland; Sweden
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lars von Trier
- Writers
- Lars von Trier · writer
- Cast and characters
- Willem Dafoe · He; Charlotte Gainsbourg · She; Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm · Nic
- Genres
- art horror; psychological drama; supernatural horror
- Themes
- parental loss; mourning and despair; nature as a source of fear; misogyny; mental illness
- Tone and mood
- grotesque; unconventional; menacing; haunting
- Premise and plot tags
- horror; psychological; drama; supernatural
- Franchise connections
- Depression Trilogy
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received polarized feedback, with critics praising its artistic execution but remaining divided on its substance. It was a success in Denmark, while it received mixed to average reviews in the United States.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.60 · scale: 10 · review count: 179; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Bodil Award · Best Danish Film · Won; Robert Award · Best Danish Film · Won; Nordic Council Film Prize · Best Nordic Film · Won; European Film Award · Best Cinematography · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by Japanese horror films like Ring and Dark Water.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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