‘The Last Viking’ Movie Review – Is It Worth Watching?

The Last Viking (Den sidste viking) is a Danish dark crime comedy caper from Anders Thomas Jensen, which centres on two brothers, Anker and Manfred, who are intent on locating a missing fortune. One of the brothers has been incarcerated, now seeing the light of day and trying to team up with his mentally unstable brother, who believes he’s John Lennon.

An outlandish premise, The Last Viking is an entertaining, darkly comical film that veers from escapade adventure to brutal black comedy. Set predominantly at a single location, the film thrives on lively performances and wacky characters who inject texture and energy. While it could easily have been a straight-up crime caper involving two brothers, the central twist creates an extra layer of suspense: Manfred constantly risks his life in violent reaction to being called by his real name, yet holds the sole key to unlocking the loot.

Harking back to their youth, one gets a fuller appreciation of their current standpoint and adult relationship, offering a portrait of their family dynamic and dysfunctional undercurrents. Revisiting their old childhood haunt, they are forced to confront the new occupants, who have their own colourful issues to resolve – essentially landing the ex-con in a world where every single character possesses some degree of eccentricity. This travelling circus remains wild, brash and bold in its execution.

The Beatles and baby-boomer references add an intriguing contrast and a retro, nostalgic sensibility, echoing a bygone musical era while introducing another strand of entertainment value through their attempts to form a band and unlock new neural pathways to help a brother.

Toying with mortality, poking fun at a dysfunctional brotherly relationship and finding the humour in an otherwise fairly simplistic treasure hunt, this dark comedy zigzags its way along. Dealing with heavy themes with a deft touch and considerable warmth, it keeps things substantial yet lightweight enough to find the funny without diminishing the seriousness of their predicament. Having a consummate ensemble to take on each of the intricate characters leaves the production in remarkably safe hands.

A curious oddity by way of a hybrid genre mash-up, there are no half measures in The Last Viking, which features a cast fully committed and able to dexterously balance comedy and drama. This see-sawing effect brings genuine unpredictability to The Last Viking, which has some parallels with the realm of the Coen brothers. It’s an odd mix that keeps you slightly off-balance and latches onto an air of excitement throughout, never letting you anticipate quite what comes next.

“Do you think they’re onto us?”

A fine cast underscores the director’s vision, anchoring proceedings where others might have completely derailed. Nikolaj Lie Kaas takes on the straight-man role as Anker, freshly released from prison after a 15-year stretch for an armed robbery. He plays opposite Mads Mikkelsen, best known for The Hunt, Another Round and Casino Royale. It is an offbeat role for Mikkelsen, showcasing his eccentric range and delving into curious comic terrain for an actor more frequently associated with gritty drama. They are bolstered by a terrific roster of Jensen regulars, including Nicolas Bro, Lars Brygmann, Bodil Jørgensen and Sofie Gråbøl.

From the animation sequence that opens the film, one gets an immediate sense of the absurd humour and dark undercurrent, as the narrative hovers precariously between a children’s fairy tale and something far more sinister. Delivering a great deal of storytelling and exposition without feeling overburdened, The Last Viking may not have the most conventional genre blend, but it certainly makes up for it with its oddball assortment and strange concoction of quirky, deadpan humour.

This is definitely not a film for everyone, taking its pitch-black sense of humour into uncomfortable territory, but doing so with such panache and winking charm that it’s difficult not to be transfixed. It’s one of the strangest and nuttiest comedies you are likely to come across – and one of the funniest “bag of cash” capers around – sharing the same brilliantly twisted DNA as Jensen’s previous cult gems: Flickering Lights, Adam’s Apples, Men & Chicken and Riders of Justice.

The bottom line: Unhinged