Following a standing ovation at its World Premiere on Sunday at the prestigious Palais des Festivals, "A Better Man" triumphed at the Canneseries Award ceremony, taking home two major prizes: Best Series Award and Best Performance Award for star Anders Baasmo. "A Better Man" was also honored with the unique Highschool Award issued by a jury of students.
Created and directed by Thomas Seeberg Torjussen, the four-part series addresses online harassment, gender roles, and cancel culture, leading us on a surprising path from hatred and isolation to intimacy and reconciliation. The series is produced by Maipo Film in collaboration with ARTBOX for NRK in co-production with ZDFneo, with Beta Film handling international sales.
"A Better Man" (4x1h) centers around Tom. By day, he runs his mother’s clothing store, but by night, he has been trolling the internet for years. His favorite hate objects are feminists in general and the famous stand-up comedian Live in particular. When his harassment causes Live to break down on stage, she shares his comment in public, prompting enraged hackers to expose Tom’s identity. Ridiculed, mocked, and threatened, Tom decides to shave his beard and hide in what he has close at hand: women’s clothing. Scared, alone, homeless, and devoid of his online world, he experiences compassion and warmth from strangers. Live, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with Tom when the police suggest he may have committed suicide. She feels responsible. All the while, Tom transitions from a despicable caterpillar into an outrageous butterfly, eventually blossoming into a decent man.