Peter Bodie gives his take on this dark Danish comedy.
It would be a pity not to see this thoroughly enjoyable film in a cinema because you will miss out on the eruptions of laughs, gasps of surprise and knowing sniggers. You won’t be disappointed watching it at home either, but if given the option, it's always better to aim for the communal experience.
This satisfying tale, which writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen neatly fashions, becomes a story about several crackpots navigating the real world in their own inimitable way. When Anker (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is released from prison after fifteen years, he goes in search of the money from his last heist. However, only his brother, Manfred (Mads Mikkelsen), knows where it’s buried, although he has developed a mental disorder. The whole construction is ridiculous...but delightful.
One character compulsively steals dogs, jumps out of moving cars, vaults out of upper-level windows and inexplicably survives. A remade Beatles-like band is conjured up to complete the extravaganza. Lost loot from a robbery, brotherly love, childhood trauma and misplaced determination also feature. Despite the (intended) abrupt changes of mood and tempo, there is an overriding feeling of gentle chaos that totally supports the story. There's plenty of violence but somehow it sits reasonably well within the context of the film. Happily, we get to cheer for the good guys as the bad guys get their comeuppance.
The Danish cast is led by a laid-back Mikkelsen and a befuddled Kaas. Mads, sporting a bizarre curly bob and wire-rimmed glasses, delivers an engaging, downbeat performance. Supporting their madcap adventure are Sofie Gråbøl and Søren Malling, playing a delusional couple who run an Airbnb; the rest of the cast – Bodil Jørgensen, Lars Brygmann, Kardo Razzazi, Nicolas Bro, and Peter Düring – provide many memorable moments too.
Ultimately, no logline or synopsis could do this justice. There are just too many twists and turns that defy simplification, so let's just call this: a dark romp, a tour de force, a parable of crisp dark humour that subtly packs a message. The take-away is delivered quietly but paints a strong message of tolerance. The story provides a moving insight into the world of mental discordance and questions ‘what is normal’.
On the way out of the cinema, I heard one person humming the chorus to the Rolling Stones’ ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’- a nice summation. Another couple were vigorously discussing how to survive in a world surrounded by crazy people. “Should you have to buy into their craziness and ultimately become a crackpot yourself?”
The Last Viking exists on many memorable levels, striking a near-perfect balance between humour and drama. A 21st-century equivalent to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
The Last Viking screened at the Dublin International Film Festival on 1st March 2026.
