Karlovy Vary Best Director Award, Special Jury PrizePsychology/Mystery/Suspence/ThrillerComedy/Satire
The director examines the fractured relationships within a Danish middleclass family through the lens of black comedy and psychological drama. Karl and Emilie are preparing a naming celebration for their newborn son Elliot at a luxury seaside hotel. Trouble begins when an uninvited guest arrives: Vibeke, Karl’s mother, whom he has not spoken to in years. The suppressed emotions of three people - Karl; his sister Rikke, who has cared for their mother in Karl’s absence; and Vibeke, who struggles with mental health issues - come to a head on the day of this important family celebration. At first, Vibeke seems to be the source of the family’s troubles, and tension mounts with her arrival. But the film keeps complicating that assumption. How are we meant to understand Vibeke’s behavior? And isn’t Karl’s overreaction just as suspect? What is admirable is the film’s careful refusal to make light of its characters’ psychological instability. Celebrated Danish actress Trine Dyrholm delivers a tour-de-force performance as Vibeke.
Born in Denmark in 1990, Mads Mengel graduated from the National Film School of Denmark, and his graduation film, For Juliane (2019), received critical acclaim and a Danish Academy Award nomination. He went on to direct the DR drama My Different Ways (2020) and the TV series Supplex (2024), which earned a Danish TV Award nomination, building his directing career. His feature debut, The Guest, co-written with Christian Bengtson, won both the Best Director Award and the Special Jury Prize to critical acclaim in the Crystal Globe Competition at the 2026 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, establishing him as a striking new directorial presence.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
