Queen of Hearts (Danish: Dronningen, The Queen) is a 2019 Danish drama film directed by May el-Toukhy and starring Trine Dyrholm and Gustav Lindh. The Danish and English titles are an indirect reference to the character Queen of Hearts from the children’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, who is mentioned several times in the film. The film was selected as Denmark’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, although it was not nominated.[1] The film won the 2019 Nordic Council Film Award.
Anne is a lawyer who is dealing with three cases of rape and violent abuse against young women. She is married to a doctor, Peter, and they have two young twin daughters, Frida and Fanny. Peter’s teenage son from a previous marriage, Gustav, currently lives in Sweden with his mother Rebecca. The family plans for Gustav to move in with Anne and Peter. Gustav arrives and Anne flirts with him.
Gustav begins to have conflicts with Peter, pushing for him to move out despite still being a minor. One day, Anne returns home to find a burglary. The incident is reported to the police, but later Anne finds an item in Gustav’s laundry bag that was stolen during the break-in. She realizes that Gustav is responsible for the theft and confronts him with the evidence. Anne promises to keep the incident a secret if Gustav does his part in the family. From then on, Gustav participates in the family’s social life, for example reading the Danish version of Alice in Wonderland to the twins, as does Anne herself.
One night, Gustav brings his girlfriend Amanda home. Anne hears the couple having sĖēeĖēxĖē and becomes aroused.
Peter and Anne entertain guests on their balcony, but Anne leaves the group to take Gustav to a bar. There, she kisses him. Later that night, she enters his bedroom and seduces him. The two begin to have sĖēeĖēxĖē.
Gustav interviews Anne with a tape recorder, asking her various questions, such as about her first sexual relationship. Anne says it was with someone she shouldn’t have had sĖēeĖēxĖē with. The family celebrates Frida and Fanny’s birthday. As Anne and Gustav leave, Gustav kisses her. A guest, Anne’s sister Lina, testifies about the encounter and leaves the party upset.
Anne fears Lina will tell Peter, and breaks off her relationship with Gustav. Gustav and Peter leave to spend time at their cabin in the woods. After returning, Peter tells Anne that Gustav wants to go to boarding school and tells his father what happened between him and Anne.
Anne denies the accusation, claiming that Gustav hates her for breaking up Peter and Rebecca’s marriage. She also tells Peter that Gustav is responsible for the theft. Anne, Peter and Gustav then sit together, where Anne continues to deny the affair. Gustav leaves for boarding school. Years later, Gustav comes to Anne’s office and threatens to report her for the affair, but she replies that he is not a reliable witness and will never be believed.
He goes to her house at night to ask about his father, but is rebuffed by Anne, leaving him to cry on the ground. At one of Anne’s parties, Peter is called in with the news that Gustav has gone missing from school. Peter is called to Stockholm by the police. It turns out that a hunter discovered Gustav’s body near the cabin, where he froze to death. When Anne tells Peter that Gustav’s death was not his fault, Peter uses violence to silence her. Finally, Peter, Anne and two young women, dressed in black, drive in silence, presumably to Gustav’s funeral.
