Breaking the Waves (bc30)
愛情中不能承受的痛 (bc30)
- Released
- 17 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Certificate
- Category III
The verdict
There are not yet enough audience votes to give this a reliable score. It is not currently playing in Hong Kong cinemas. Category III · 160 minutes.
What it is about
In a small and religious coastal town, a simple, devoutly religious Scottish woman, Bess McNeill, finds a partner in an oil rig worker from Norway, Jan Nyman. However, the relationship grows strained when Nyman breaks his neck in a horrific work accident on the rig and becomes paralyzed. Unable to perform sexually and suffering mentally from the accident as well, Jan convinces Bess to have sex with other men, which she comes to believe is God's work.
What to expect
Bess marries Jan, an oil-rig worker, and the match feels like a lifeline out of her insular, pious Scottish village. Then a rig accident leaves him paralysed, and he asks her to take other lovers — a request she interprets as a divine command. Emily Watson’s performance is so exposed it is sometimes hard to watch, and von Trier shoots the whole thing with a handheld restlessness that never lets you settle. The 160-minute running time is a genuine commitment; the movie gives you very few moments of relief. In Hong Kong it is rated Category III, so admission is strictly 18 and over. It opens on 17 September 2026 with Chinese subtitles. Given the length and the rating, it will almost certainly play at a handful of arthouse screens rather than in wide release — check listings carefully before you go.
Cast
- Emily Watson
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Katrin Cartlidge
- Jean-Marc Barr
- Adrian Rawlins
Crew
- Director Lars von Trier
Common questions
- How long is the movie?
- 160 minutes. It is a single-sitting commitment with no interval, so plan accordingly.
- What is the Hong Kong rating?
- Category III. Only ticket-holders aged 18 or above will be admitted; ID checks are likely at the door.
- Are there subtitles?
- The Hong Kong release carries Chinese subtitles. The dialogue is mostly English, with some Norwegian.
- Is this suitable for a casual night out?
- No. The subject matter is punishing, the tone is relentless, and the rating means it is adults-only. It is not a movie to walk into on a whim.