Another Round
Four stagnant high school teachers decide to test out a theory that maintaining a constant level of intoxication will improve their overall lives.
Despite its small-scale budget of $5.2M, Another Round became a solid performer, earning $21.7M worldwide—a 321% return. The film's compelling narrative engaged audiences, confirming that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
1 Oscar. 60 wins & 71 nominations
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%)
Another Round (2020) reveals carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Thomas Vinterberg's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 57 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.1, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Martin
Tommy
Peter
Nikolaj
Anika
Main Cast & Characters
Martin
Played by Mads Mikkelsen
A disillusioned high school history teacher struggling with a midlife crisis and disconnection from his family
Tommy
Played by Thomas Bo Larsen
A gym teacher and former athlete dealing with unfulfilled dreams and declining physical prowess
Peter
Played by Lars Ranthe
A music teacher wrestling with performance anxiety and creative stagnation
Nikolaj
Played by Magnus Millang
A psychology teacher and family man confronting the mundanity of middle age
Anika
Played by Maria Bonnevie
Martin's wife who becomes increasingly distant as their marriage deteriorates
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Martin's 40th birthday begins with disengaged students mocking him during a lackluster history lecture, establishing his joyless, disconnected existence as a burned-out teacher.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when At Nikolaj's birthday dinner, the theory is discussed seriously and the four teachers decide to test Skårderud's hypothesis scientifically, maintaining 0.05% BAC during work hours.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The teachers collectively commit to continuing and expanding the experiment after initial successes, celebrating their newfound vitality and making it a formal project rather than a one-time test., moving from reaction to action.
At 59 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The four teachers, heavily intoxicated, go on a nighttime boat ride singing and celebrating—a false victory showing their experiment at peak success, but the excess hints at dangerous loss of control., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Tommy, drunk and alone in his boat, drowns in the harbor—a literal death that shatters the group and destroys the illusion that their drinking was harmless or sustainable., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Martin pours out his hidden alcohol stash and chooses sobriety, integrating the lessons learned—that authentic connection and vitality must come from within, not from a bottle., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Another Round's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Another Round against these established plot points, we can identify how Thomas Vinterberg utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Another Round within the comedy genre.
Thomas Vinterberg's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Thomas Vinterberg films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Another Round represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Thomas Vinterberg filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Thomas Vinterberg analyses, see Far from the Madding Crowd, The Hunt.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Martin's 40th birthday begins with disengaged students mocking him during a lackluster history lecture, establishing his joyless, disconnected existence as a burned-out teacher.
Theme
Nikolaj presents psychiatrist Finn Skårderud's theory that humans are born with a 0.05% blood alcohol deficiency, suggesting controlled drinking could optimize life—the thematic premise of the entire experiment.
Worldbuilding
Four middle-aged teachers—Martin, Tommy, Peter, and Nikolaj—navigate professional stagnation, family disconnection, and the weight of unfulfilled potential in their mundane Copenhagen lives.
Disruption
At Nikolaj's birthday dinner, the theory is discussed seriously and the four teachers decide to test Skårderud's hypothesis scientifically, maintaining 0.05% BAC during work hours.
Resistance
The teachers carefully prepare their experiment with measurement protocols, begin drinking during school hours with initial hesitation, and observe early positive effects—Martin becomes more engaging, students respond better.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The teachers collectively commit to continuing and expanding the experiment after initial successes, celebrating their newfound vitality and making it a formal project rather than a one-time test.
Mirror World
Martin reconnects with his wife Anika through intimate conversation and dancing in their kitchen, showing the experiment's potential to restore what was lost—a glimpse of redemption through loosened inhibitions.
Premise
The experiment flourishes: classes become dynamic, students excel, marriages improve, and the teachers rediscover joy and confidence. They document results, push boundaries, and taste Hemingway-level drinking with escalating euphoria.
Midpoint
The four teachers, heavily intoxicated, go on a nighttime boat ride singing and celebrating—a false victory showing their experiment at peak success, but the excess hints at dangerous loss of control.
Opposition
Cracks appear: Martin drinks before a parent meeting and embarrasses himself; Tommy goes on a bender and neglects his family; Peter struggles with excess; the drinking becomes compulsive rather than controlled.
Collapse
Tommy, drunk and alone in his boat, drowns in the harbor—a literal death that shatters the group and destroys the illusion that their drinking was harmless or sustainable.
Crisis
The surviving teachers grieve at Tommy's funeral, confronting the devastating consequences of their experiment. Martin faces his family's pain and his own culpability in the darkness following loss.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Martin pours out his hidden alcohol stash and chooses sobriety, integrating the lessons learned—that authentic connection and vitality must come from within, not from a bottle.
Synthesis
Martin rebuilds his life sober: reconnects genuinely with students who pass their exams, participates meaningfully in his sons' graduation, and navigates his fractured marriage with newfound clarity and presence.
Transformation
At the graduation celebration by the harbor, Martin spontaneously breaks into an ecstatic jazz dance—sober, alive, and free—embodying vitality without substances, transformed into someone who can embrace life fully.