Day of Wrath (1943): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1943, Day of Wrath is a drama and romance film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, running about 97 minutes. “A Drama of Fear and Superstition in the 20th Century” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In a Danish village in the early 1600s, a young woman named Anne, whose mother was thought to be a witch, develops sympathy toward an old woman, Marte, who is accused of witchcraft. The intervention of Anne's older but kindly husband, Pastor Absalon saved her mother -- but now, urged on by his overbearing mother, he refuses to help Marte. When Absalon's son returns home and is attracted to Anne, it's a matter of time before her family destiny catches up with her.

Who’s in it. Day of Wrath stars Lisbeth Movin as Anne Pedersdotter, Absalon's Second Wife (uncredited), Preben Lerdorff Rye as Martin, Absalon's Son from First Marriage (uncredited), Sigrid Neiiendam as Merete, Absalon's Mother (uncredited) and Anna Svierkier as Herlofs Marte (uncredited), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Day of Wrath sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Day of Wrath page.

If you liked it. Fans of Day of Wrath tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.