Loving Adults (2022) Review: When Love Becomes Dangerous

 

Loving Adults (Original title: Kærlighed for voksne) | 2022 | 1h 44m
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Crime / Drama / Thriller | Country: Denmark
Director: Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg | Writers: Anna Ekberg, Anders Rønnow Klarlund, Jacob Weinreich
Cast: Dar Salim, Sonja Richter, Sus Wilkins
IMDb: 6.5
My Rate: 7/10

Leonora’s seemingly perfect marriage begins to fall apart when her husband Christian’s affair is exposed. After discovering that Christian’s attempt to have her killed has failed, Leonora takes an extreme step, using the failed murder as leverage to force Christian back into their marriage.

Warnings:

Violence, sex, nudity, strong language

 

Synopsis

A police officer tells his daughter, who is about to get married, the story of Leonora and Christian. Their family ended up becoming connected to a murder case, but the dark truth behind it could never be proven because there was not enough evidence. He tells the story simply to give his daughter a different perspective on marriage.

A message arriving on Christian’s phone in the early hours of the morning makes Leonora suspicious. However, her suspicions still need solid evidence before she can be certain. Her investigation eventually leads her to a woman who works at her husband’s company, where she discovers an intimacy between them that goes far beyond what would be considered normal.

Leonora continues trying to hold on to her marriage, doing everything she can to make her husband come back. But Christian has become blinded by his new love and chooses to destroy everything he already has, even going as far as planning to kill Leonora. What Christian does not know is that Leonora is willing to go even further to save her marriage.

Can they restore the happiness that has already begun to fall apart?

 

Review

Infidelity has almost become something we see as normal in marriage these days. As if marriage were merely about temporary desires and impulses rather than a commitment made before God. This is what Loving Adults (2022) tries to show: marriage does not always promise happiness. There are many things within it that cannot be predicted, including the most painful and unimaginable ones.

The film is presented in a rather unique way, using a third-person perspective through a police officer who tells the main story as if it were one of the cases he once handled. However, while this approach is certainly interesting, it also becomes one of the film’s biggest logical weaknesses. The police officer seems to know everything about the case in great detail, including things the characters did privately when no one else was around.

The story immediately opens with the central problem. The unhealthy relationship between the characters becomes apparent from the beginning. Arguments, suspicion, and everything surrounding them provide enough of a foundation for the audience to understand what kind of story is about to unfold.

The external conflict becomes a strong trigger for the internal conflicts experienced by the characters. The affair creates an emotional conflict within Christian as he struggles between the new happiness he wants to build and the happiness he has already destroyed. Leonora experiences her own internal conflict between giving in to her disappointment and continuing to fight for a happiness that may already be impossible to restore. These conflicts feel quite strong, further intensified by manipulation, arguments, and growing guilt.

The twist at the end is interesting and fairly unexpected. Although several clues have been planted throughout the middle of the story, they become much more meaningful once the twist is revealed. The changes in the characters’ emotions and expressions also help make the psychological-thriller element feel more convincing.

The closing narration from the police officer is particularly meaningful. It does not simply conclude the story of Leonora and Christian; it also offers a simple reflection on marriage. It is a message that may be useful for the audience to take away from the film.

Overall, Christian and Leonora’s story is actually very compelling. The presence of the police officer as the narrator, or third character telling the story, may not have been necessary. If we look closely, this approach actually reduces some of the emotional depth of the main characters. Several scenes involving conversations between the police officer and his daughter are inserted into the story even though they are not particularly important, and they often interrupt the tension that has already been built. Still, as an idea, the use of this perspective is quite interesting.

There is actually one thing that I think would have been interesting to see: how Leonora and Christian first met, why they decided to get married, and the happy memories they shared. Showing these moments might have allowed the audience to feel Leonora’s pain more deeply, rather than experiencing it mainly through dialogue and narration.

The acting is quite good, with convincing chemistry between the actors. The cinematography and attention to detail are also well handled, along with the camera movements and transitions. The sound design and music are appropriately matched to each scene.

In the end, Loving Adults has a strong story because its marital conflict is not simply about infidelity. It is also about disappointment, guilt, choices, and how someone deals with the destruction of the life they have built. Unfortunately, telling the story through the police officer’s perspective slightly reduces the emotional depth that could have been the film’s greatest strength. Even so, its psychological conflict, character development, and twist still make it an interesting film to follow.

 

Memorable Scene

Ready to end his marriage, Christian tries to be honest with Leonora and tells her about his decision, unaware that she already knows about his affair. Leonora is devastated, especially because all the sacrifices she has made seem to be dismissed so easily. The career she gave up, the devotion she showed in raising their child, all of it suddenly feels as though it meant nothing. Even the commitment they made at the beginning of their marriage—to work as a team to keep their family together—has now fallen apart.

Marriage can often feel as though it is unfair to women. A man comes into a woman’s life with promises of commitment, happiness, laughter, and companionship, making her willing to entrust her life to him. Yet some men seem to take that commitment for granted. They can move on and leave a woman behind without caring about the memories they shared or the uncertainty she may face after everything they built together has been destroyed. All for an ego that may only have emerged from a momentary desire.

 

Memorable Quote

“That love is far more dangerous than its reputation.”

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

(Aluna Uwie)