In China They Eat Dogs (1999): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1999, In China They Eat Dogs is an action, comedy and crime film directed by Lasse Spang Olsen, running about 91 minutes.

What it’s about. Arvid, a bank teller, is dumped by his girlfriend for being too boring and dull. Hoping to put some excitement in his life, Arvid helps stop a robbery at the bank. The wife of the would-be bank robber tracks Arvid down and tells him her husband was robbing the bank only so he could pay for medical treatments so they could have a child. The title is a reference to an axiom Arvid's brother tells him: "In China, they eat dogs"; which makes him realize that there is no such thing as moral absolutism, and that whether something is right or wrong depends on the situation. Because of his revelation, he comes to sympathize with the bank robber. Imagining he can help the couple and prove himself to be a dangerous outlaw all at once, Arvid plots a robbery of his own bank with the help of his brother Harald and some fellow wannabe criminals.

Who’s in it. In China They Eat Dogs stars Dejan Čukić as Arvid, Kim Bodnia as Harald, Brian Patterson as Vuk and Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Martin, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.3/10, In China They Eat Dogs has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Viaplay Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch In China They Eat Dogs page.

If you liked it. Fans of In China They Eat Dogs tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.