Riders of Justice

Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, Riders of Justice follows Mads Mikkelsen’s Markus as he embarks on a campaign of revenge against the motorcycle gang responsible for his wife’s death. It’s an inherently compelling premise that’s employed to slightly uneven yet predominantly enthralling effect by Jensen, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a stirring drama that benefits from its consistently surprising narrative and plethora of spellbinding performances – with the latter reflected most keenly in Mikkelsen’s intense and frequently electrifying work as the picture’s taciturn hero. It’s worth noting, too, that the perpetually watchable atmosphere is heightened by Jensen’s seamless blending of various genres (ie the movie effectively functions as a heart-wrenching drama, laugh-out-loud funny comedy, and brutal actioner, all at the same time), and although the movie’s midsection is perhaps not quite as tight or streamlined as one might’ve preferred, Riders of Justice, buoyed by a genuinely shocking third-act plot twist, progresses into a mesmerizing second half and climactic stretch that ensures it concludes on a thoroughly positive (and memorable) a note – with the end result a terrific endeavor from a mostly underrated filmmaker.

***1/2 out of ****