Queen of Hearts (2019) – A Riveting Danish Drama
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The 2019 Danish drama Queen of Hearts (original title: Dronningen) marks a powerful entry in contemporary Scandinavian cinema. Directed by May el‑Toukhy, co-written with Maren Louise Käehne, the film explores adeptly the fault lines of a seemingly ideal family, unraveling secrets and moral collapse.
This blog post delves into the cast, plot, themes, and why the film deserves your attention.
Cast & Key Credits
Trine Dyrholm plays Anne, the central character: a successful lawyer specialising in cases of sexual violence and abuse.
Gustav Lindh portrays Gustav, the teenage stepson whose arrival upends the family dynamics.
Magnus Krepper appears as Peter, Anne’s husband, a physician and father to the twins and step-father to Gustav.
Supporting cast includes Preben Kristensen (Erik), Stine Gyldenkerne (Lina, Anne’s sister) and others.
On the creative side, May el-Toukhy directs and co-writes, the cinematography is by Jasper Spanning and the music by Jon Ekstrand.
Plot Overview
Queen of Hearts opens on what appears to be a picture-perfect family: Anne (Trine Dyrholm) is a dedicated lawyer specialising in representing victims of sexual violence. She lives with her husband Peter and their twin daughters, Frida and Fanny. Peter also has a teenage son, Gustav, from a previous relationship, who until now has lived with his mother.
When Gustav arrives to live with the family, he brings turbulence. Anne attempts to be welcoming and engaging to Gustav. But the boundaries begin to blur. A burglary occurs in the house which Anne senses Gustav is connected to—and she strikes a secret deal with him, trading silence for household compliance.
As Anne and Gustav grow closer—both emotionally and physically—the film escalates tension: Anne’s professional life defending youths intersects ironically with her private life where she crosses ethical and legal lines. Eventually the affair is exposed, Gustav threatens to report Anne, and the ripple effects are profound. Gustav goes missing, is found dead, and the family’s life is irreversibly shattered.
Themes & Analysis
The Illusion of Perfection
The film begins by showing Anne’s outwardly successful life: a smart lawyer, loving mother, married to a doctor, two healthy children, comfortable home. But this façade conceals deep unrest—Anne’s dissatisfaction, Gustav’s alienation, Peter’s emotional detachment. This gulf between appearance and reality propels the drama.
Power, Transgression & Boundaries
At the heart of Queen of Hearts is the disturbing transgression of moral and legal boundaries: a step-mother entering a sexual relationship with her teenage stepson. The film examines power dynamics, the vulnerability of youth, and the culpability of adults in positions of trust. Reviews point out that the film “asks viewers how we judge Anne, and to what extent she’s responsible.”
Consequences and Guilt
As the narrative unfolds, we see that the moment of transgression sets off a chain of events: lies, threats, guilt, and ultimately tragedy. The film does not offer easy redemption; it forces its characters—and its audience—to grapple with devastation rather than closure.
Societal and Gender Commentary
Anne is a woman in a professional realm defending victims of abuse, yet she becomes the abuser in her private life. This contradiction raises uncomfortable questions about gender, agency, and hypocrisy. Many critics noted the film’s tension between portrayal of female sexuality and abuse, and how Anne’s status complicates easy categorisation of victim and perpetrator.
Why It’s Worth Watching
There are several reasons Queen of Hearts stands out:
Stellar performance: Trine Dyrholm is widely praised for her nuanced portrayal of Anne—a woman charismatic and confident yet flawed and dangerous. A director unafraid of difficult material: May el-Toukhy navigates taboo territory not for shock value but to interrogate morality, power and family.
Tense and unpredictable storyline: The film slowly builds tension, shifting from seemingly benign to deeply unsettling, keeping the viewer unsettled.Visual-narrative clarity: The cinematography, domestic settings, and editing all support a mood of normality that is gradually undermined—enhancing the thematic shock.
Strong reception: The film was Denmark’s submission for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Potential Drawbacks & Trigger Warnings
That said, the film is not for everyone. It explores sexual relationships between a step-mother and a teenager, which many viewers will find deeply disturbing. Some critics argue the film teeters toward sensationalising the taboo rather than fully exploring its moral complexity.
As such, trigger warnings for sexual content, abuse, teen vulnerability and family trauma are warranted.
Final Thoughts
Queen of Hearts is bold, uncompromising and deeply unsettling—not in a cheap thriller way, but in a thoughtful, character-driven way. It pulls you into the comfortable world of an elite Danish family, only to reveal the fissures beneath the surface. If you're in the mood for a drama that challenges rather than comforts, this film will stick with you long after the credits roll.
For those interested in European cinema, family-based psychological dramas, or films that interrogate power and betrayal, Queen of Hearts is a compelling choice.
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