Terribly Happy

Copenhagen police officer Robert Hansen is temporarily reassigned to the small village of Skarrild after a violent confrontation with his wife. This reassignment is intended to provide Robert with a fresh start, away from his past, while he longs to reunite with his daughter, Josefine.

Upon arriving in Skarrild, Robert meets various local figures, including Dr. Zerleng, the grocer, and the village priest. They invite him to join their regular card game, introducing him to the peculiar community that resides there.

Robert encounters Ingelise Buhl, a woman suffering from domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, Jørgen. This meeting marks the beginning of Robert’s protective instincts towards her, slowly pulling him into the complex dynamics of village life.

Curiosity leads Robert to a local bicycle shop, which has been abandoned since the owner mysteriously disappeared. This discovery hints at the underlying tensions and secrets harbored within the community of Skarrild.

Robert visits Ingelise's home after witnessing violence from her husband Jørgen. He finds Jørgen passed out and Ingelise in a vulnerable, battered state, leading to an intense moment that forever alters Robert's relationship with her.

In a moment of passion and panic, Robert accidentally suffocates Ingelise while trying to keep her from waking her husband. Caught in the chaos of his actions, he escapes, leaving behind the grim reality of what just occurred.

The next day, Robert returns to Ingelise's home to investigate the tragedy despite feeling intense guilt. He grapples with his conscience as he is pressured by Dr. Zerleng to cover up the truth about Ingelise's death, leading him deeper into moral ambiguity.

As Robert grapples with the loss, he prepares for Ingelise's funeral, haunted by the memories of their last encounter. He finds a missing button from his uniform, a painful reminder of the tragedy that he attempts to conceal.

During a tense night, Robert witnesses townsfolk dragging Jørgen towards the bog, accusing him of abuse. Despite his own complications with Jørgen, Robert intervenes and unexpectedly saves him, showcasing his conflicted nature.

The tension escalates when Jørgen challenges Robert to a drinking competition, where the truth about the button comes to light. In a fit of desperation, Robert fatally shoots Jørgen, spiraling into further moral decay.

Following the shooting, Robert disposes of Jørgen's body in the bog, desperately trying to erase the evidence of his crime. Exhausted, Robert returns to his car, reflecting on the dire consequences of his actions.

The next day, Robert faces a tense situation when the chief of police arrives to investigate a boot found in the bog. In a shocking twist, the chief proposes that they label Jørgen's death as a suicide to protect Robert from the fallout.

Bound by his past and desperate for redemption, Robert prepares to leave Skarrild after the funeral arrangements. For a brief moment, the idea of returning to Copenhagen and reuniting with his daughter brings him relief.

As Robert bids farewell to the locals at Dr. Zerleng's card game, he is met with ominous warnings about the implications of his actions regarding Ingelise and Jørgen. The townsfolk's veiled threats leave him unsettled and aware of his entanglement in their secretive justice.

Robert ultimately embraces the village's dark reality when he sits down to play cards with the locals. The cryptic comment from the grocer about him being 'their man' suggests that Robert is now entwined in their web of violence and complicity.