Breaking the WavesSynopsis and Overview

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  • Breaking the Waves
  • Opened October 4, 1996 | Runtime:2 hr. 39 min.
  • R
  • In a small and religious coastal town, a simple, devoutly religious Scottish woman, Bess McNeill (Emily Watson), finds a partner in an oil rig worker from Norway, Jan Nyman (Stellan Skarsgard). However, the relationship grows strained when Nyman Read More
  • Cast: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr, Adrian Rawlins
  • Director: Lars von Trier
  • Genres: Romantic Drama, Psychological Drama, Erotic Drama, Melodrama, Drama

Breaking the Waves Critic Reviews

Go Avg. Critic Score out of 100 Metascore ® based on all critic ratings.

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Stack

    One of the most haunting and vital movies of the year.

  • 100
    New York Daily News |

    One of the most emotionally devastating movies of the decade.

  • 100
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Not many movies like this get made, because not many filmmakers are so bold,...

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    True art is a journey to somewhere you've never been, and there has never been...

More Breaking the Waves Critic Reviews

Breaking the Waves Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 15 fan reviews

Critics say

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