Another Round

In the modest corridors of a Copenhagen gymnasium, four weary teachers drift through lessons that feel more like obligations than opportunities. Martin, a history instructor battling a quiet depression, struggles to keep his family close while his students’ indifference gnaws at his confidence. Tommy, a physics teacher whose dry humor masks deeper doubts, shares the same sense of stagnation. Peter, a literature enthusiast yearning for relevance, and Nikolaj, a teacher of Latin whose marriage feels increasingly hollow, complete the quartet of friends whose daily grind leaves them yearning for something more.

A chance dinner conversation brings them to a provocative idea: a psychiatrist’s theory that humans are born with a slight deficiency of blood‑alcohol content, and that maintaining a modest level—just enough to loosen the edges—might rekindle creativity and ease. Intrigued, the friends agree to turn the theory into a personal experiment, vowing to keep their blood‑alcohol at a measured minimum during workdays and to avoid drinking after eight at night. Their pact is both playful and disciplined, a secret rhythm that threads through classroom discussions, lesson plans, and the quiet moments between them. The prospect of a gentle, controlled intoxication becomes a lens through which they examine their own dissatisfaction and the limits they place on themselves.

The film’s tone balances wistful melancholy with a buoyant, almost lyrical humor, reflecting the everyday absurdities of adult life in a modern Scandinavian city. As the teachers navigate the fine line between liberation and responsibility, their camaraderie deepens, revealing unspoken hopes, hidden insecurities, and the fragile optimism that perhaps a small change in perspective can ignite a larger shift in their world. The story invites viewers to wonder how far one will go to feel alive again, and what the cost of that pursuit might quietly be.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 01:01