Riders of Justice (2010) – 8.5/10 – A Surprisingly Moving Action Comedy
Overall
Riders of Justice is a low-budget Danish action drama that flopped in theaters. Few understand that Scandinavian movies have a unique style of storytelling and presentation. Emotional depth, intrinsic meaning, subtlety, and social/moral exploration are hallmarks of Scandinavian movies. They touch taboo topics that other industries, like Hollywood or Bollywood, tend to sidestep. Frequently, they leave the endings open to interpretation without providing the answers. This film is unlike what you typically see in revenge thrillers.
When awful things happen to us, we’re quick to assign blame or search for meaning. We require closure to make sense of things. Emotional pain is something medicine, alcohol, or drugs can’t heal, but we often resort to them for numbing it. Revenge often emerges, but nobody knows upfront where that path will lead. Riders of Justice takes that idea to the next level. I’ll also add that nobody is truly innocent, and coincidences sometimes happen in life. It will spoil the movie if I say more. The themes include loss, overcoming grief, morality, vengeance, improbable friendship, honesty, and unity through compassion. Each main character is flawed and broken in their own way. They put their issues aside temporarily for a common cause. Alone, they are nothing, but together, they are everything. Overall, it leaves your heart brimming with joy to see them unite as a family.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, I liked it a lot. I hit play with no expectations and left satisfied. The story is nothing original, but the writing is fresh in how it’s put together. You get twists and turns throughout to keep you engrossed. This story only works with this cast because of their characteristics. If done in English or with different actors, the script would need tweaking. It’s in Danish, but I had zero issues following the subtitles. Among Danish films I’ve watched, this is the second best, behind The Hunt. There’s no question that Mikkelsen is the best actor from Denmark, and you must watch his works (Hollywood or from Denmark). A Hollywood remake is in development, but only time’ll tell how it goes. My rating is 8.5/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), a Danish soldier deployed in the Middle East, must return home early. His wife died in a tragic train accident and left his teenage daughter, Mathilde, alone. One brilliant crash survivor finds evidence that the train incident may not have been an incident. The survivor unites a ragtag team of computer geeks and Markus to hunt the culprits.
Technicals
Riders of Justice is entertainment done right, from top to bottom. The standout technicals included acting, script, direction, score, and editing. Mikkelsen is a sensational actor from whom I have never seen a poor performance. Whether it’s a Hollywood film or Danish, he embodies the characters he plays. In this, he plays a soldier of fortune who lives the part. In one scene, he smashes his own head on a mirror and punches glass without a stunt double involved. I won’t spoil the scene, but its realism left me stunned. The entire cast is incredible and appropriate for their roles. I couldn’t believe the versatility of the supporting actors, who were switching between dark comedy, action, and emotional moments. The filmmakers developed the primary characters in an honest, poignant manner. They felt like actual people instead of puppets on strings. The dark humor is well-done with an intention that never appears corny. We shouldn’t expect humor here, but it’s present and leaves you laughing. Within the action and humor lie heartbreak and compassion. You get elements of multiple genres, with something for everyone. The main thing is that it simply fits.
I’m hard-pressed to find obvious issues that don’t involve nitpicking. First, the ending didn’t live up to the buildup. The secondary characters seemed disjointed from the earlier scenes. Second, the event (train crash) that set things in motion became trivial. One could say the twists became both a strength and a weakness. I hope the English remake focuses on correcting the shortcomings. With a proper cast, it could become a classic. Finally, some may find the dark humor distasteful. Yes, they turn mental health issues and personal trauma into comedy. I had no issue with it, but others may cringe. Comedy is subjective and may not always be respectful. Keep in mind it’s just a movie.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki
