Riders of Justice

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. (02/08/2021)

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. (04/17/2021)

Anders Thomas Jensen delivers one of the best Nordic films in the last ten years, and he has the biggest stars available. Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Department Q), Nicolas Bro (Small Town Killers) against Roland Møller (R), that's what I call an awesome cast! The main character's wife dies in a tragic train accident and three friends approach him. They have figured out that it was not an accident and ask him if he wants to seek revenge and confront a dangerous biker gang. The film has a solid revenge story, spiced up with dark and very funny black humor (I laughed a lot), intelligent dialogues, and when it came to action, it was uncompromising, intense, and damn realistic, especially the final home invasion has an awesome atmosphere. Mads Mikkelsen probably has the best role after The Hunt, he plays an elite soldier and exudes respect. The villain is played by Roland Møller, who has already proven himself in the role of a merciless bastard several times, although he deserved even more space here. A very good film, which not only is enjoyable to watch but also leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth after it ends. I would have welcomed more action and more space for the villain, but otherwise, I am very satisfied. Story *****, Action *****, Humor *****, Violence ****, Entertainment *****, Music *****, Visuals *****, Atmosphere *****, Tension *****. 8.5/10. (01/31/2021)

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 (09/14/2021)

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%. (01/28/2021)

Cause and effect. A bloody drama about revenge flips over into a bizarre comedy in the inimitable style of Anders Thomas Jensen. Mads Mikkelsen excels again in a role of a taciturn soldier coming back from the war to bury his wife and find the way of connecting with his daughter. The investigation of the train catastrophe which moves the movie towards the quest for revenge is in the hands of three strange IT divas. Nerds reeling off hilarious lines create a strange antithesis to the silent Mads, an aspect that the screenplay exploits rather unexpectedly. The excellent action scenes are among the best I have seen in this genre and the surprisingly pleasant ending makes sure that Riders of Justice is a classic Christmas movie. (03/14/2021)

A hybrid that has almost everything. That wouldn't be so unusual, but what is extremely extraordinary is how cleverly and sophisticatedly the filmmakers were able to combine the different aspects of the film together and what a whole they managed to make out of it. A bit of a guy drama full of weirdos, a bit of John Wick, occasionally a black comedy with typically Nordic, goofy humour and grunting actors. (04/27/2021)

As they say, "Coincidence is stupid!" but when coincidences start piling up suspiciously, things tend to get ugly. Riders of Justice foreshadows the plot causality inherent in virtually every story. In this case, however, this mundane plot attribute is provided with a compelling theme and accompanied by an incredibly bizarre cast of characters and plenty of moments in which black humour, blood, fisticuffs and swearing are not spared, while a few serious scenes from life are also included. Whether by chance, fate, mistake or algorithm, Anders Thomas Jensen's film is - not coincidentally - a solid watch. (06/05/2021)

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. (05/26/2021)

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. (04/27/2021)

Exactly the kind of film where all the humor "merely" underlines the overall concept of the narrative and functions without brutality within an otherwise serious plot. I couldn't stop laughing at some points because the scientists were just absolutely divine when confronted with the violence. "If I wanted to put it together myself, I'd go to Ikea!" Otherwise, probably one of the top new films I've seen in the pandemic period. And Jensen’s functional multidisciplinarity when working within the medium of film is simply fascinating. [90%] (04/17/2021)

Not for nothing has Anders Thomas Jensen been one of my favorite screenwriters for a long time. After watching Riders of Justice, I'm even starting to seriously consider including him among my favorite directors as well. He has never disappointed me, quite the opposite. His work is not only wonderfully entertaining, but also moving or makes you think. He's done the same with this rightly wacky dramedy, where a strong foursome of social outcasts fight against coincidence by any means necessary, fantastically played by my favorites Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann and Nicolas Bro. (85%) (07/04/2022)