Whoever said a perfect movie can’t be made has never streamed Riders of Justice.
Okay. This Danish action-comedy film might not be 100 percent perfect, but it comes extremely close. It truly does have everything most moviegoers want in a revenge flick with plenty of extras thrown in. It’s available to stream on Amazon Prime, and you can stop reading this now and go do that. If you’re still with me, I want to share my three reasons why you should stream this film. But before we do that, let’s check out the Riders of Justice trailer:
Riders of Justice, the Movie
This movie was made in 2020 in Denmark. This means it has subtitles. If that’s not your thing, keep in mind that the Danish language seems to flow in a similar manner as English. The conversational tone moves very much like an American film. (Think some of the conversations in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.) The subtitles weren’t a distraction for me, and they probably won’t be for most other viewers.
Mads Mikkelsen is another feather in the film’s cap. He’s an actor who’s made a career of playing a believable tough guy. In Riders, Mads plays Markus, a man seeking revenge for the death of his wife. His warpath is balanced by people who are the exact opposite of Markus. This eccentric group includes Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), Lennart (Lars Brygmann), and Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro). The balance between Markus and the group forms the film’s comedic core.
I don’t like sharing spoilers. That’s why I’m not offering a point-by-point plot breakdown. I’d rather share the three reasons why I think you should stream Riders of Justice:
1. Misfits Come Together to Form a Family
This is a tried-and-true concept in movies, but Riders of Justice takes it to another level. The coming together of Markus, Otto, and Lennart is just the start of this ragtag group of revenge-seekers. Other equally unique and interesting characters join Markus and his daughter Mathilde. It doesn’t take long for the group to really gel and show their genuine compassion toward each other. (And one bloody nose, but who’s counting?) This emotional core offers some much-needed balance to all the shooting rampages.
2. An Interesting Take on the Importance of Data
We’re living in a world drenched in data and algorithms. There’s no escaping it. Riders of Justice takes a very interesting look at the pitfalls of interpreting data and placing the ultimate faith in those interpretations. This can lead to some dangerously inaccurate conclusions. Everyone makes this mistake, even the statistical experts in this film. All I can say is that it’s an important lesson that we all should consider… and it comes to us from a revenge film of all places.
3. The Irony of the Film’s Title
Riders of Justice is the name of the motorcycle club that is the villain of the film. Because this is a group of killers and drug dealers, the word “justice” cannot even be loosely applied to what the gang does. But the name “Riders of Justice” could also be applied to Markus and his friends. At least they believe they’re out for justice but are they really? It’s up to you, the viewer, to decide. (Hint: This moral dilemma between justice and revenge is anchored in my second point above.)
Streamers, Let Us Know You’re Alive!
We enjoy having discussions here at The Solid Signal Blog. If this post inspires you to watch Riders of Justice, feel free to leave your comments below. This invite also extends to anyone who’s already streamed it. I’d love to know if you appreciated the same things that I did. I’m even more interested in your opinion if it disagrees with mine. Like I said, we enjoy discussion over here and I’m encouraging you to take part in it. That’s what our comments section is for, after all!
