Riders of Justice

This movie follows a group of both interesting and hilarious characters. We see them go through hell, in belief of what they are doing is for the greater good. And hilariously so. Definitely a 2020 must watch.

A darkly funny & emotionally riveting slice of Danish delight that's brought to life with the right amount of care, compassion & subversiveness, Riders of Justice makes for an amusing, heartbreaking & thoroughly captivating comedy of errors that balances simple co-incidences with clever orchestrations and is greatly uplifted by its handful of quirky characters who are brilliantly rendered by its fabulous cast.

Written & directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, the premise setup is quick, character introductions are swift and while humour is detectable in the most unlikely of places, the emotional beats do brim with an honesty & depth that shines through. Jensen is sensible in handling the themes of loss, grief, neglect, abuse & sidelined morality in pursuit of vengeance, and has a clear grasp of his characters' inner turmoil.

The story comes packed with hilarious segments no doubt but where it warms the heart most is the way these idiosyncratic folks, all broken in their own ways, come together to help a grieving family bond & become whole again. Mads Mikkelsen is reliable as always but the supporting cast is right up there with him throughout the journey. Everyone chips in with deftly measured inputs & leaves behind nothing to complain about.

Overall, Riders of Justice is humorous, poignant & refreshing in the zaniest of ways and is an action-comedy of heartfelt warmth & surprising intimacy. The chemistry & interplay between the geeks & muscle allows for wholesome entertainment and the finale is cathartic in ways that just fits. To sum it up, this Danish revenge-thriller is a roller-coaster ride that promises plenty of fun, is sincere in its emotions, and has its heart at the right place.

You know what they say ... how certain things lead to other things happening. And it all seems to start with a girl wanting a bicylce ... you would not imagine where this leads too. So many variables and so many different things playing into this.

And a movie that is not afraid to be violent and crazy. It switches from funny to sad to over the top action. And it works - if you let yourself dive into it. The actors are doing a great job with it. If you've seen a few movies, you may be able to recognize a couple of them anyway, not just Mads Mikkelsen.

This will not be everyones cup of tea, but those who love movies that are off beat and are quite hard to describe, let alone guess where they go next ... who live from crazy yet relatable characters ... well they will rejoice and be as entertained as they can be. Do not expect this to be like a smooth US movie - that would be by the numbers and this is doing anything but that. It may even offend you in one way or another ...

In the US we associate indies with sub-par film-making. Because they are cheap productions destined to fill the pipeline for some low-end cable channel, and most of the cash never makes it to the screen. This Danish gem is the exception to the rule. For a tight $5.0 mil budget we not only get top production values and acting, but a story that defies expectations at every turn. Tarantino meets Keystone Cops. Engaging. A treat. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

IMDB thought that if I like this movie I should watch Nobody. The suggestions algorithm needs some serious improvements. If US could produce a revenge movie that was even half of what Riders for Justice stands for then I wouldn't mind giving them another go but I seriously doubt they'll ever get to the same level ever with scandinavian cinema and storytelling. So anyone out there that is fed up by John Wick mania give this one a go.