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Families Like Ours season 1 was released globally on Netflix on June 10, 2025. This 7-part Danish drama miniseries was created by acclaimed filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg. The show had its initial run on Denmark’s TV 2 from October 20 to December 1, 2024. Prior to its global launch, it premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival and was showcased at Toronto and London.
Families Like Ours season 1 is set in a future where Denmark faces evacuation due to rising sea levels. The plot follows Laura, a 19-year-old student, who has to make a tough decision. Rich people are leaving for countries with better economies, and others are being moved by the government.
The story is mostly about how these changes affect family relationships. It is told through Laura's personal experience, showing how society is divided and how people must keep their cool in tough situations.
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Amaryllis April Maltha August plays the lead role in the series, Laura. Nikolaj Lie Kaas stars as Jacob, while Elias is played by Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt. Fanny is portrayed by Paprika Steen.
The show also features notable performances from Helene Reingaard Neumann, Magnus Millang, Esben Smed, Aya Grann, and Asta Kamma August, who are part of the supporting cast of Families Like Ours season 1.
Main cast of Families Like Ours season 1
1) Amaryllis April Maltha August as Laura
Laura, played by Amaryllis August, is a young student who has to make life-changing choices as Denmark prepares to evacuate its citizens. In season 1 of Families Like Ours, her character is very important and appears in all seven episodes.
The series is built around Laura's emotional journey, which shows how she struggles between being loyal to her family and friends and planning for the future.
According to a Danish media outlet, BT, this was August's first major role. She was chosen after 13 callbacks and a rigorous 4-month-long casting process. The casting team didn't know who she was at first, even though she was the daughter of filmmaker Bille August.
At the premiere in Venice, she received positive reviews. After that, August worked with Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons in The Count of Monte Cristo as Valentine de Villefort.
2) Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt as Elias
Elias, played by Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt, is close to Laura. Elias helps Laura with her feelings while also dealing with his own problems related to relocation. His scenes show how migration and survival can hurt people's minds. In Families Like Ours season 1, his character's friendship and youth solidarity keep things in check, especially when Laura's feelings get too intense.
Lindhardt, who was born in 2001, has worked in both movies and TV shows. He has appeared in movies like Another Round, Riders of Justice, and As in Heaven. He has also done voice work for animated movies like Finding Santa. He has been featured in TV shows like Pulse, Follow the Money, and Chosen.
3) Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Jacob
Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays Jacob, a figure of authority and emotional conflict. In his role, he shows a mature perspective on being forced to relocate, having family duties, and the tough choices adults have to make. Jacob's relationship with Laura gives the story more depth by showing how different generations and morals can clash.
Kaas is a well-known and respected actor in Danish cinema who has been working for decades. Besides being the lead in The Boys from St. Petri, he became well-known in The Idiots, Flickering Lights, and Angels & Demons. He has won the prestigious Lauritzen Award and several Robert Awards for Best Actor. In 2003, Kaas was named a European Shooting Star.
4) Paprika Steen as Fanny
Paprika Steen plays Fanny, a character with a strong will and deep emotions. In her scenes, family trauma, mental breakdowns, and hard parenting choices during the evacuation are all shown. Fanny's interactions with other characters show that she cares and is frustrated at the same time. Her role in Families Like Ours season 1 helps understand how societal collapse affects mothers.
As an actress, Steen has been in many Dogme 95 movies, including Festen, The Idiots, and Open Hearts. Only she has been in all three of the first three Dogme movies. Steen has won 4 Robert and 4 Bodil Awards for her performances, making her one of the celebrated actresses in the Danish film industry. She directed critically acclaimed movies Aftermath and With Your Permission.
Additional cast of Families Like Ours Season 1
- Helene Reingaard Neumann as Amalie
- Magnus Millang as Henrik
- Esben Smed as Nikolaj
- Aya Grann as Mathilde
- Mikkel Rugaard Kjær as Mikkel
- David Dencik as Peter
- Asta Kamma August as Christel
- Mari-Anne Jespersen as Lene
- Dick Kaysø as Bjørn
- Max Kaysen Høyrup as Lucas
- Imad Abul-Foul as Danilo
- Albert Carey Drasbæk as Valde
- Thomas Bo Larsen as Holger
- Morten Agerholm Jensen as Niels
- Yoann Blanc as Ejendomsmægler
- Niclas Bendixen as Lars
- Kola Krauze as Irek
- Peter Secher Schmidt as Gorm
- Alexander Behrang Keshtkar as Fodboldtræner
- Christiane Gjellerup Koch as Rektor
- Lukasz Gawronski as Lubomir
- Stanislaw Linowski as Bartek
- Tourialay Akbari as Tjener
- Anne Fletting as Bente
- Brigitta Kanyaro as Tjener
- Olivier Massart as Mr. Boyer
- Alan Andersz as Piotrek
- Jens Basse Dam as Formand
- Christian Matschofsky as SFO-assistent
- Zaki Nobel Mehabil as Official
- Michael Pitthan as Andrew
- Philipp Droste as Grænsevagt
- Mads Hjulmand as Bankansat
- Félicien Juttner as Gilles Benni
- Boris Isakovic as Russisk trafficker
- Camille Japy as Chef i arkitektfirma
- Seam Turay as Engelsk betjent
- Nicolai Dahl Hamilton as Bogholder
- Jowita Budnik as Polsk kvinde
- Henrik Koefoed as Præst
- Mathilde Eusebius as Billetkontrollør
- Mo Chara as Sagsbehandler
- Kristian Ibler as Embedsmand
- Sara Klein Larsen as Grædende kvinde
- Alex Dower as George
- Tom Hale as Allon
- Stefan Velniciuc as Præst
- Mikkel Hilgart as Ejendomsmægler
- Søs Sif Thiele as Sagsbehandler
Crew and Production
- Director: Thomas Vinterberg (7 episodes)
Writers:
- Thomas Vinterberg
- Bo Hr. Hansen
- Vinca Wiedemann (in association)
Producers:
- Zentropa (Primary production house)
- Studiocanal (Distribution)
- TV 2 (Original broadcaster)
- Canal+ (France)
- Co-production support from NRK, TV4, ARD Degeto, Film i Väst, Sirena Film, Zentropa Sweden, Saga Film, Ginger Pictures
Plot of Families Like Ours season 1
The first season of Families Like Ours is a powerful story about forced migration, personal loss, and the strength of human connections. In a near-future Denmark that is being destroyed by rising sea levels, the story starts with the government ordering everyone to leave the country.
Since the infrastructure can't stop the flooding, the Danish parliament decides to use its last few dollars to move people to other countries. People with money can run away to countries that are doing well, but the rest have to rely on programs set up by the government.
This often takes them to strange and difficult places. The show is set in this world and follows Laura's journey, a 19-year-old girl who is torn between love, family, and staying alive.
Laura's dad, Jacob, and stepmother, Amalie, live with her. After hearing about the evacuation, her whole world changed overnight. At first, she wants to move to Paris with her boyfriend, Elias, but in the end, she decides to go to Bucharest with her estranged mother, Fanny.
She makes this emotional choice because of a memory from her childhood and a boy's drawing that she sees as Fanny being in danger. She misses the planned transportation, though, and ends up in Russia. After days of chaos and being apart, Laura and Elias meet up again in Poland. However, a terrible tragedy happen when the police severely beat Elias, and he fell into a coma.
Laura moves in with her mother in Romania, and Elias gets treated in a rehab center in Poland. Elias eventually gets back in touch with Laura at a wedding, even though they are emotionally distant and guarded. They may have a future together after their emotional reunion.
Meanwhile, Nicholas and Henrik take in Lucas, a boy with great foresight who finds a new home in England. After a break, Fanny starts writing again. Jacob and Amalie have a hard time in Paris, but they get by with simple jobs and rebuild. Henrik wants to make up for killing someone by accident by helping the victim's father.
The first season of Families Like Ours ends with Denmark under water, but there is still hope. Promises of coming back are whispered in the distance as people who have been forced to leave try to rebuild their lives from the rubble. The characters hold on to their memories, their love, and the idea that home can be carried within even when they are away from it.
Families Like Ours season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
