Mads Mikkelsen Shines in “The Last Viking” – More Than Just a Dark Comedy! Here’s Why

What’s it about?

After spending fifteen years in prison, a bank robber is released and seeks to retrieve the loot he entrusted to his brother before his incarceration. However, his brother, who now believes he is the reincarnation of John Lennon, takes him on an unexpected and improbable journey.

Viking of the World

Describing Anders Thomas Jensen’s films as “uncategorizable” is not only accurate but also an understatement. This label doesn’t fully capture the balance the Danish director achieves from one film to the next, nor how he continually manages to surprise and reinvent himself.

Although (very) dark humor is a common thread in his work, which features characters ranging from butchers with their unique sauces (The Green Butchers), a pastor welcoming an ex-convict to his parish (Adam’s Apples), to two men discovering they are brothers from a rather unique family (Men & Chicken), and a soldier seeking revenge for his wife killed in an attack (Riders of Justice).

No film resembles the previous one, yet recurring faces appear, especially Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Mads Mikkelsen, who shine again in The Last Viking. Mikkelsen, known for playing villains in Hollywood (Casino Royale, Fantastic Beasts, Doctor Strange, Indiana Jones 5…), portrays a man convinced he’s the reincarnation of John Lennon, searching for his fellow Beatles in the childhood forest where his brother, a newly released convict, seeks his hidden loot.

Funny, violent, moving, and surprising (sometimes all at once), The Last Viking is one of those films that’s hard to summarize without revealing too much. It’s best to know as little as possible before watching, as our words can hardly do justice to its atmosphere.

But the significance of the film, having passed through the last Venice Festival, extends beyond its many qualities since it marks the grand debut of Motel, its brand new French distributor created by Simon Robert and Guillaume de Castro. And that certainly warranted some questions to get to know this newcomer in the French film landscape.

“Cinema is both an art and an industry, and distribution is its most risky link”

The biggest challenge today for new distributors is financial. Cinema is both an art and an industry, and distribution is the riskiest part of the chain. Another challenge is convincing theaters and the media to trust us!

Why is “The Last Viking” the perfect first film for your launch?

Primarily because it’s a very successful dark comedy, where you oscillate between laughter and tears and back again! It’s the perfect mix of everything needed: the film of an underrated Danish director in France (akin to the wilder Thomas Vinterberg) featuring a starring actor (Mads Mikkelsen) who is as comfortable in Denmark with Drunk or The Hunt as he is in the USA with roles in James Bond, Hannibal, Indiana Jones, Star Wars. It’s a film that leaves no one untouched, and after dozens of festivals in France, we’ve found that it’s very well received.

“Motel aims to champion cinema from all corners of the world, not just French cinema”

Motel aims to champion cinema that tells stories of our times, featuring new faces and perspectives. Beyond that, we’ll feature as diverse a range of genres as possible: drama, comedy, thriller, animation, documentaries, and more.

What are your upcoming releases?

After The Last Viking, we’ll release on November 4th American Citizen, a gripping American drama/thriller where Nick Offerman plays a suprematist father whose son, played by Jacob Tremblay, begins to question… Dennis Quaid also stars in this powerful film, which has made rounds at Deauville and Reims Polar, speaking as much to a conflictual father-son relationship as to current America. Then in the fall, we’ll release Bogota 85, based on the incredible true story of a hostage situation that traumatized South America.

Following that, on December 2nd, we’ll release Redemptions, a new film by Luc Picard and produced by one of the producers of My Mother, God and Sylvie Vartan. This drama questions our relationship with love as much as with violence. A hitman is forced out of retirement to take on a mission that will impact the lives of 8 people between Montreal and Paris. Featuring Quebec actors alongside Damien Bonnard and Gérard Lanvin, this ensemble film is deeply moving. Finally, on March 10, 2027, we will release Blue Hour, a bright and beautiful debut film by Ornella Pacchioni. It follows a young woman (Kim Higelin) who decides that this day will be her last. We accompany her as she wanders through London, alongside Francesca Amewudah-Rivers. Two American heritage films will soon be added to this list!