I saw Ruben Ostlund’s last film Force Majeur at a a previous Middleburg Film Festival and really enjoyed it. At the start of the Square Christian (Claes Bang), a museum curator is robbed. How he reacts to the robbery affects all of those around him and others in his community as well. The exhibits Christian is presenting at he museum reflect on what happening in his personal life.
There are large themes of social contracts and the individual’s role and responsibilities in a society and towards others. The movie is able to tie its different parts into this theme. But its too long and slightly unfocused. And Ostlund makes the unfortunate choice of having the under-used Elisabeth Moss play out the “reporter sleeps with subject” cliche rather than be a legitimate love interest.