Direction: Anders Thomas Jensen
Country: Denmark
Putting on display a diverse range of lunatic and irate characters, Riders of Justice finds its own patch of madness in a story where the laughs pair up with violence. The film, penned and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen (Flickering Lights, 2000; Adam’s Apples, 2005), follows a tough deployed soldier, Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), who returns home to take care of his teen daughter, Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg), after the tragic death of his wife. In difficulty to cope with the loss and connect with his estranged daughter, Markus sees his mournful time and anger problems stirred up when he learns from Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), a brainy survivor from the train wreck that killed his wife, that what happened wasn't accidental. Otto’s loony friends, Lennart (Lars Brygmann) and Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro), join their cause to find the truth and seek revenge.
This comedic crime case, which seems to incorporate elements and characters from the universes of Bong Joon Ho and Terry Gilliam, marks the fifth collaboration between Jensen and his first choice actors, Mikkelsen and Kaas. It’s messy and silly, merciless and compassionate, in a way that, in the same breath, stretches the line of absurdity and entertains moderately.
Far from unconventional, Riders of Justice is definitely a no-game changer but arrives free of all stylistic constraints. In addition to the message that everyone needs help, its most relevant aspect is perhaps the space given to each character to show their own self under certain circumstances. It was a frothy cinematic experience for me.
