Riders of Justice

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))

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 ...

I became very impressed with Anders Thomas Jensen's new installment to his bizarre and unique film universe!

The film delivers comedy in top class, and have some impeccable acting performances particularly from Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, but the rest of the cast (Nicolas Bro, Lars Brygmann, Roland Møller, Andrea Gadeberg etc.) also does a good job!

The script and the lines were really well done. How the characters interact and talk to each other felt very natural, and none of it seemed "staged", which shines through as ATJ is one of the most talented screenwriters we have in Denmark.

I found the film's unique plot and its special "idea" to be incredibly thrilling, and made the film have a lot of thoughtful elements, where the cinema-goer is actually challenged intellectually, which we rarely see in Danish films.

All in all a great danish film!

9/10.

A bunch of misfits, most with anger issues, try to go on a rampage, led by a PTSD-suffering Mads Mikkelsen.

This movie features many of the best male danish actors. It has strong perfomances and a laugh-out riot dialogue, especially from the supporting cast, that you have to hear to believe.

It's not a revenge-movie per se, but deals with issues like parenthood, friendship, and forgiveness. Because of this, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and think it's the best movie to come out from Denmark in years.