Riders of Justice

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. (2021-04-28)

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. (2021-04-18)

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. (2021-03-15)

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 (2021-09-15)

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%. (2021-01-29)