Another Round(2020)

Pooper:
Tommy succumbs to alcoholism and dies in a boating accident. But the other three men recover from their experience with drinking and their lives are more optimistic than before.

Long Ending:

Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) is a teacher at a local school. He’s grown bored with his job and distant from his wife, Anika (Maria Bonnevie). He attends a dinner with his friends and colleagues Nikolaj (Magnus Millang), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), and Peter (Lars Ranthe). Nikolaj tells them that he’s read a recent theory that humans should maintain a 0.05% BAC in order to thrive. The men eventually decide to test out this theory. They buy breathalyzers and maintain a 0.05% BAC throughout the day (ending their drinking at sunset).

The men all rediscover their passion for teaching and connect with the students on a meaningful level. Martin also begins reconnecting with Anika, and they take their kids on a vacation for the first time in years. With things going so well, the men decide to try doubling their alcohol intake. This also yields positive results.

Things begin taking a turn for the worse, however, when they decide to start drinking to the point of blacking out. While they initially have fun partying, their drinking gets out of control (such as Nikolaj peeing himself in bed in front of his family and Peter playing piano nearly naked in a bar). Martin passes out and injures himself at his neighbor’s house, and his drinking scares his children and wife. When Anika confronts Martin, he gets her to admit that she had an affair. An enraged Martin storms out of his home. Nikolaj’s wife also separates from him. Things reach a real low point when Tommy arrives at school visibly intoxicated and is suspended from his position.

Nikolaj, Peter, and Martin all stop drinking and dub their experiment a failure due to alcoholism. Tommy can’t stop drinking despite the efforts of the others to get him to stop, and he eventually demands that they leave him alone. Anika also tells Martin their relationship is over when he tries to win her back. Though things seem grim, the students embrace the teachers and thank them for how much they’ve contributed to their success. All of their kids pass their exams and attribute their success to the teachers. However, at the graduation ceremony, word comes in that Tommy died in a boating accident while he was drunk.

At the funeral, Tommy’s students give him a touching tribute. Nikolaj, Peter, and Martin go out for a drink and mourn their lost friend. As they talk, we learn that Nikolaj is now closer to his wife than ever, and Peter is dating for the first time in years. Martin then gets a surprise text from Anika where she tells him she misses him and suggests she’s willing to reconcile. The three men then go out and join a party with their students, dancing exuberantly with equal parts joy and sadness.