critics consensus

A darkly humorous revenge thriller with satisfying depth and a dash of savory quirk, Riders of Justice makes another compelling case for Mads Mikkelsen as an all-purpose leading man. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

RIDERS OF JUSTICE follows recently-deployed Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), who is forced to return home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed in a tragic train accident. But when a survivor of the wrecked train surfaces claiming foul play, Markus begins to suspect his wife was murdered and embarks on a revenge-fueled mission to find those responsible.

Genre:

mystery and thriller, comedy, action
Original Language:

Danish
Director:

Anders Thomas Jensen
Producer:

Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Sidsel Hybschmann
Writer:

Anders Thomas Jensen
Release Date (Theaters):

May 14, 2021 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

May 21, 2021
Runtime:

1h 52m
Production Co:

Zentropa Entertainments, Zentropa International Sweden, Film i Väst, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Swedish Film Institute, Nordisk Film Distribution, TV2 Danmark, Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond, Yleisradio, Sveriges Television, Yousee, FilmFyn, Danish Film Institute

Cast & Crew

Mads Mikkelsen
Markus

Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Otto

Andrea Heick Gadeberg
Mathilde

Lars Brygmann
Lennart

Nicolas Bro
Emmenthaler

Gustav Lindh
Bodashka

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Riders of Justice

All Critics (55) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (4)

Riders of Justiceis a risk-taking movie that may have you cheering one moment and recoiling the next. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

May 15, 2021 | Full Review…

Leonard Maltin
leonardmaltin.com
Such wild zigzags in tone ought not to work at all. And yet they do, thanks to Jensen's calm, slightly wry command of the story, and a cast that have all understood the assignment, even when their respective assignments are all quite different.

May 15, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Jessica Kiang
Rolling Stone
A deliciously absurdist, fundamentally serious, even philosophical enterprise that uses a superheated revenge plot to address our common need for making sense out of life.

May 15, 2021 | Full Review…

Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
Brutal, sad, funny, and disarmingly sweet-natured, Riders of Justice is not so much a revenge movie as a movie about revenge.

May 14, 2021 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Matt Zoller Seitz
RogerEbert.com
Two decades in, Jensen, Mikkelsen and their game, frequent collaborators are the defiantly irreverent gift that keeps on giving.

May 13, 2021 | Full Review…

Michael Rechtshaffen
Los Angeles Times
From the first frame to the last, Jensen's "Riders" is a wild-ass ride that cements Mikkelsen as a cinematic treasure.

May 13, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Randy Myers
San Jose Mercury News
Mads Mikkelsen's intense performances galvanizes this offbeat Danish thriller that's mostly about brutal revenge but also is amusing and heartwarming beneath the surface.

May 15, 2021 | Full Review…

Todd Jorgenson
Cinemalogue
It combines Thomas Jensen's offbeat sense of humor with unsettling levels of violence and none of it feels out of place (think Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite). His draws complex characters with a few simple strokes.

May 15, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…

Jorge Ignacio Castillo
Planet S Magazine
Mads Mikklesen is fantabulous as a detached, revenge filled Dad aided by a trip of nerdy Tech geniuses. It's a film that really hits you in the gut with the realism of grief and how it can tear family apart or bring them together

May 14, 2021 | Full Review…

Carla Renata
The Curvy Film Critic
A surprisingly thoughtful & witty revenge tale.

May 14, 2021 | Full Review…

Evan Dossey
Midwest Film Journal
Though there's a bit of a moral jumble to its deconstruction of the revenge movie, Riders of Justice imparts a savvy lesson to those raised on the strong and silent type.

May 14, 2021 | Rating: 7.9/10 | Full Review…

Jacob Oller
Paste Magazine
Thoroughly original, action-packed, funny and even heart-warming - this one checks all the boxes.

May 14, 2021 | Rating: 9/10 | Full Review…

Chris Bumbray
JoBlo's Movie Network