A Conspiracy of Faith
An old note is found in a bottle in Jutland which has traveled very long across the ocean a long time ago. The note is hard to decipher, but when the Danish investigator from Section Q receives it, the odd personalities within the section find a new angle on it and try to unveil yet another old and diabolic case even though the lead is cold.
Working with a limited budget of $5.2M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $9.7M in global revenue (+86% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
A Conspiracy of Faith (2016) reveals deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Hans Petter Moland's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 48 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Carl Mørck
Hafez el-Assad
Rose Knudsen
Marcus Jacobsen
Johannes
Rakel
Main Cast & Characters
Carl Mørck
Played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Cynical detective leading Department Q, haunted by past trauma but driven to solve cold cases.
Hafez el-Assad
Played by Fares Fares
Carl's loyal and intuitive partner, brings warmth and street smarts to investigations.
Rose Knudsen
Played by Johanne Louise Schmidt
Department Q's brilliant but emotionally unstable secretary with a troubled past.
Marcus Jacobsen
Played by Søren Pilmark
Police chief who supports Department Q while managing bureaucratic pressures.
Johannes
Played by Pål Sverre Hagen
The fanatical religious cult leader who kidnaps and abuses children in God's name.
Rakel
Played by Amanda Collin
Johannes' submissive wife, trapped in the cult and complicit in the abuse.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Detective Carl Mørck and Department Q in their basement office, handling cold cases with their established routine and cynical dynamic.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when A message in a bottle is discovered containing a desperate plea for help from children claiming to be held captive, with blood on the letter suggesting urgency and danger.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Carl decides to defy orders and fully commit to investigating the message, declaring they will find these children regardless of official support or consequences., moving from reaction to action.
At 53 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat The team discovers evidence that some children were killed years ago, raising stakes as they realize others may still be alive but in immediate danger from the cult leader., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The team arrives too late at a location where they believe the children are held, finding evidence of recent evacuation and realizing the captors have escaped with remaining victims., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. A crucial piece of evidence or witness testimony provides the final location of the cult compound, giving Carl and team the breakthrough needed for a final confrontation., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
A Conspiracy of Faith's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping A Conspiracy of Faith against these established plot points, we can identify how Hans Petter Moland utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish A Conspiracy of Faith within the crime genre.
Hans Petter Moland's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Hans Petter Moland films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. A Conspiracy of Faith takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Hans Petter Moland filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds. For more Hans Petter Moland analyses, see Cold Pursuit.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Detective Carl Mørck and Department Q in their basement office, handling cold cases with their established routine and cynical dynamic.
Theme
Assad comments on the nature of faith and how people can use religion to justify terrible things, foreshadowing the thematic exploration of corrupted belief systems.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Department Q's dynamics, Carl's personal struggles, the team's methods, and the bureaucratic constraints they work under in the Copenhagen police basement.
Disruption
A message in a bottle is discovered containing a desperate plea for help from children claiming to be held captive, with blood on the letter suggesting urgency and danger.
Resistance
The team debates whether the bottle message is legitimate or a hoax, researching missing children cases and encountering resistance from superiors who want to dismiss it.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Carl decides to defy orders and fully commit to investigating the message, declaring they will find these children regardless of official support or consequences.
Mirror World
Introduction to the captive children's storyline in flashbacks, showing their suffering under a fanatical religious cult leader, mirroring themes of faith corrupted into control.
Premise
Department Q follows leads investigating religious communities, uncovering a pattern of missing children connected to a fanatical sect, while racing against time to find survivors.
Midpoint
The team discovers evidence that some children were killed years ago, raising stakes as they realize others may still be alive but in immediate danger from the cult leader.
Opposition
The investigation intensifies as the cult leader becomes aware of their pursuit, covering tracks and escalating violence while Carl's team faces dead ends and mounting pressure.
Collapse
The team arrives too late at a location where they believe the children are held, finding evidence of recent evacuation and realizing the captors have escaped with remaining victims.
Crisis
Carl and the team face despair, questioning whether they'll find the children alive, confronting the darkness of what these victims have endured and their own limitations.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
A crucial piece of evidence or witness testimony provides the final location of the cult compound, giving Carl and team the breakthrough needed for a final confrontation.
Synthesis
The team raids the cult compound in a tense rescue operation, confronting the fanatical leader and his followers while attempting to save the surviving children from execution.
Transformation
The surviving children are rescued and the cult dismantled. Carl watches them receive care, transformed by the case's impact, reaffirmed in his commitment to seeking justice for the forgotten.