Ron’s Review

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I can only describe The Last Viking as unexpected. Because nothing in this film happens the way one presumes it will. Having read the logline, I thought I was going to watch a film about brothers on a road trip, bonding over their search for treasure, even if it was really just loot they’d stolen. But that is definitely not what this film is about.

Instead, The Last Viking is a satire of road trip-family films, because everything that can go wrong in Anker’s (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) quest to regain his stolen money, can and does go wrong. In fact, things go wrong in far more ways than Anker can possibly imagine. Not only does he have to coax the location of the loot from his reluctant brother, Manfred/John (Mads Mikkelsen), but he has to deal with overly ‘helpful’ psyche ward assistants and AirBnB hosts. All while racing against a deadline, emphasis on the ‘dead’.

What surprised me was how much of The Last Viking turns out to be an examination of mental illness, and the ways society continues to let down people with mental health issues. John needs help, but few people around him are willing to give him the help he needs. As much as Anker loves his brother, the distance between them is only exacerbated by Anker’s refusal to understand who John is, and what his needs are.

This film is violent, though. And I do wish I had been prepared for that. There’s a lot of outright violence, including towards children, as well as depictions of familial abuse, that was really painful to watch. There’s some odd stuff around disfigurements that I’m not sure I’m happy about. People are different; they look different. What was The Last Viking trying to say by pointing it out, and by punishing vanity?

I found the experience of watching this film confusing. Tonally, it’s a dark comedy. And I definitely did laugh–it’s surprising how much humour is injected into scenes. But it’s such a dark film that I’m left feeling deeply uncomfortable, and sad, for the characters. Though it does try to have a pretty happy ending. And, despite the fact that I figured out a few of the big twists early on, that didn’t dampen my engagement with the film at all.

The performances are great. Kaas is the straight man in a comedy, arguably the toughest role, but executed brilliantly. Mikkelsen can’t put a foot wrong. I’ve never seen a bad performance from this man. His Manfred/John is immediately likable and you can’t help but feel protective about him. The chemistry between the actors is believable as is the tension.

The Last Viking is a good film; it’s very well-made. The cinematography is beautiful. The pacing is energetic. Strong performances, a layered story, and a deep message about mental health make this an unusual but relevant film.

Mon’s Review

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I had heard of this film, but I knew nothing about The Last Viking before watching it. That’s good and bad. Everything’s a novelty, and you’re in for plenty of surprises. At the same time, my unfamiliarity with writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen’s oeuvre left me discombobulated watching the film.

This is an obvious satire–of what all I’m unsure of. But it’s also a black comedy, which settles in after a good 20 minutes. I thought I was in for a dramatic story of a family torn apart. The opening sequence notwithstanding, the first act was dead serious.

And then things take a turn. And another. And another. Once you realize you, the viewer, are being taken for a ride, the tone makes sense. Up until then, however, I was very confused.

Having said that, I ended the film still confused. The Last Viking is an immersive story. The characters are all exquisitely painted–odd, but aren’t we all? There are little gazes and gestures that tell us more than dialogue could. We’re left to intuit what the characters’ motivations really are and where the story is actually headed. But whenever the comedic tone rears its head, it throws off the balance of the storytelling.

It’s hard to laugh when there are drawn out scenes of child abuse in the mix. Or acts of violence. And instances of ableism. I don’t watch a ton of black comedies; The Last Viking reminds me why.

I can see the appeal of the film. The cinematography is so striking. Why can’t every place be as verdant and surrounded by water like the house in this film? It’s breathtaking to see, especially when contrasted against the haunted house-like home at the centre of the story.

The performances are exceptional. Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Anker plays it straight and angry throughout, a perfect foil for Mads Mikkelsen’s Manfred who isn’t emotive. They are stark contrasts to the over-the-top Lars Brygmann as Lothar and Kardo Razzazi as Hamdan, as well as the more down-to-Earth couple Sofie Gråbøl as Margrethe and Søren Malling as Werner. Everyone’s got a personality to reel you in.

And yet, The Last Viking was just too strange for me to enjoy. The tone, even for a black comedy, felt incongruous with some of the more hard-hitting scenes. The sensibilities of the dialogue felt out of touch with the general air of inclusivity the film embraced.

There’s an audience out there for this film, a large one. I just happen to not be one of them.