Riders of Justice

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. (27/04/2021)

Soldier Markus returns home from the war to take care of his daughter and cope with the tragic death of his wife, who was killed in a train accident. But when he discovers that a dangerous gang may have been involved, he decides to take revenge, even if it means working with a trio of antisocial geniuses. Riders of Justice is a clever multi-genre film that alternates funny moments with poignant ones, and bloody shootouts with intimate drama. But thanks to the great cast and the confident direction, it all fits together perfectly. (08/02/2021)

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. (26/05/2021)

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 (14/09/2021)

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%. (28/01/2021)