The Dinner

Two couples, brothers Stan and Paul Lohman, along with their wives Claire and Barbara, meet for dinner to discuss a terrible crime committed by their teenage sons. As the evening progresses and alcohol flows, simmering resentments and uncomfortable truths about their families and the incident come to the surface. The polite facade of the dinner gradually crumbles, revealing the deep moral compromises and emotional damage that lie beneath.

The Dinner received generally negative reviews from critics, who found the film's heavy-handed approach and melodramatic tone to be off-putting. While some performances were praised, the overall narrative was often criticized for being preachy and lacking subtlety. Audiences also seemed divided, with many finding the subject matter too bleak and the execution unsatisfying.

• Critics found the film to be overly didactic and lacking in emotional resonance.

• The performances were occasionally singled out for praise, but couldn't salvage the heavy-handed script.

• Many reviewers felt the film failed to handle its serious subject matter with the necessary nuance.

Google audience: Google users largely found 'The Dinner' to be a heavy, depressing, and ultimately unsatisfying film. Many viewers expressed disappointment with the bleak subject matter and felt the film was too slow-paced and lacked a compelling narrative arc.

The film is an English-language remake of the 2013 Dutch film of the same name, which was also based on the 2009 Herman Koch novel.