Directed by:
Anders Thomas JensenScreenplay:
Anders Thomas JensenCinematography:
Kasper TuxenComposer:
Jeppe KaasCast:
Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro, Gustav Lindh, Roland Møller, Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt (more)Plots(1)
Anders Thomas Jensen, scriptwriter for filmmakers like Susanne Bier and Kristian Levring, feels at home in many genres, yet his own directorial style sticks out. Just like Adam’s Apples (2005) and Men & Chicken (IFFR 2016) his latest film is a black comedy with a plot only he could come up with. Riders of Justice starts with a series of sad events: a stolen bike, dismissal, a train accident. Coincidence or a causal link? Data analyst Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) examines the matter aided by his eccentric colleague Lennart (Lars Brygmann) and their even stranger friend Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro). Together with professional soldier Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), who lost his wife in the train wreck, the men develop into angels of wrath. The mission leads to results, though perhaps not the intended ones. Riders of Justice’s bone-dry humour and inimitable logic makes it another absurdist, yet educational and moving highlight in Jensen’s oeuvre. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
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Reviews (12)
Actually a perfect return to the cinema. It's exactly the kind of film where a different row is laughing every moment, because the range of humor here is really wide. Occasionally there's a "yay!" from the left, a "dude!" from the back, and when someone sitting in front of you laments "Oh, shit" in one scene, you shake your head with a frown. Like the action scenes, which rival Gareth Edwards in brutality. Plus, it's a great grab bag of familiar faces (Mia Goth got fat? Dylan Moran can speak Danish? Is that the frog from Nachtmahr?) who are actually someone else. Plus, personally, I have a soft spot for movies whose cathartic punchline is how nothing actually matters. After all, how else to handle a story about how a crusade of male stereotypes (the most IT IT crowd, the most PTSD soldier, the most gay gay) avenge the death of a lady in a manner they're so forged into that they screw it up with grace from the ground up. The Egypt punchline is totally FTW, I'm still laughing at it as I type this. The first Jensen that sat well with me, though he's still clearly recognizable in this.
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Riders of Justice has so much to offer that I feel like I've only watched very limited films up until now. You want drama and emotion? You got it. You want action? You got it! You want laughs? Oh, for sure. I would never doubt Mads Mikkelsen as an actor, but I would never have expected him to have such fists. And the whole pack of them, just like the combination of genres, comes together nicely. Ah, Denmark. 4.5 stars
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John Wick, a biker gang, a prostitute, causality, correlation, Christmas and IT dudes. It's equal parts psychological drama, Nordic noir with social overtones, proper black comedy, uncompromising action flick, intimate family drama about coping with unexpected loss, (not so) feel-good buddy movie, situation comedy, Christmas cheer movie and… and a few other genres and boxes too. What is admirable is that it is not for a moment a disparate mishmash and a tug-of-war over which genre will pull the strings. Despite the multi-genre disjointedness, it's integral, as it works on several levels and opposing genres simultaneously. So the scenes where you bust out laughing while nerve-wracking tension builds and we get to the heart of the characters, among other things, are not the exception that proves the rule.
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Danish filmmakers put me in a good mood yet again. Jensen's usual suspects showed me what it looks like when near-unquestionable facts triumph over lies and hatred, and I had a great time throughout. Since I watched very closely, it didn't escape me that Anders Thomas Jensen added a subtle human touch to the witty, action-packed, and extremely violent frenzy.
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I don't know where Jensen gets these ideas from, but it works. Sometimes it's downright enjoyable, and it also never completely fails. He once again shows that nothing is sacred to him, and he can bring together seemingly incompatible heroes, genres, and emotions. Riders of Justice is a black tragicomedy about a very unsuccessful journey for revenge. Among other things, the viewer will learn why we shouldn't believe in conspiracy theories, but also why Nordic countries don't need the death penalty. Jensen wildly mixes absurdity with randomness, and if you're willing to handle some violence and cynical humor that doesn't care about societal correctness, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this ride with a bunch of crazy outsiders. Overall impression: 80%.
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