search for something...

search for something you might like...

Wild Men - Film Review Martin's midlife crisis finds him high up in the mountains of Norway dressed as a Viking and on the run

Wild Men - Film Review

Martin's midlife crisis finds him high up in the mountains of Norway dressed as a Viking and on the run

by Lake, Film Editor
first published: April, 2022

approximate reading time: minutes

The scenery is spectacular and it juxtaposes brilliantly with Martin's dream of some imaginary past whilst still clinging to his phone and a longing for chocolate bars

Wild Men (starstarstarstarstar_outline)
directed by Thomas Daneskov
starring Rasmus Bjerg, Zaki Youssef, Sofie Gråbøl, Bjørn Sundquist 

Martin (Bjerg) has turned his back on his family and society to live in the mountains of Norway and get back to his Viking roots. He dresses in furs and lives in a tent. He hunts. The only problem is that the hunting is harder than he’d expected and pretty soon he’s making a late night trip to the garage for supplies. After getting into an altercation with the staff because they won’t accept his offer to barter an axe for booze Martin is soon being hunted by the police. Back up in the mountains he stumbles on Musa (Youssef), an injured drug smuggler with a bag of bloodstained cash who has just made a tentative hobble away from a car accident where his crew have crashed headlong into a deer. He is also being hunted by the police. And so begins a buddy road movie albeit one that is mostly on foot and where the road is a winding path up and down a mountain.

Wild Men is a dark, deadpan comedy lead by a tremendous performance by Berg as the pathetic man child Martin whose delusional attempts to shake off the shackles of contemporary culture and return to a mythical age of noble masculinity could serve as biting social commentary though the film plays all out for laughs rather than ramping up the satire. 

There are fine supporting roles for Sofie Gråbøl as Martin’s wife, who thinks her husband is at a conference, and Bjørn Sundquist as the head cop who is in charge of a particularly reluctant police force including a sniffer dog that always seems to have the day off (out doing “dog business”). 

The scenery is spectacular, stunning mountain vistas and dense ancient forest, and it juxtaposes brilliantly with Martin’s dream of some imaginary past whilst still clinging to his phone and a longing for chocolate bars. Later, at a “Viking experience” village that they stumble on, initially believing it to be a real enclave of kindred spirits, Martin steals a plate of sandwiches and the village leader’s hybrid BMW to stake a feeble claim to true Viking spirit.

Much as Martin’s mid-life crisis escapade begins to unravel the more difficult things get and he contemplates a return to his family his buddy Musa, more streetwise though no less insecure, also realises there are alternatives to the path he is travelling. Like the similar stone-face road movie comedies of Aki Kaurismaki and Gustave Kervern/Benoît Delépine, Wild Men retains a great humanity and warmth no matter how hapless, pathetic or desperate its characters become.


Essential Info
Wild Men is in cinemas 6 May from Blue Finch Film Releasing: https://wildmen.co.uk/

Lake
Film Editor

Kirk Lake is a writer, musician and filmmaker. His published books include Mickey The Mimic (2015) and The Last Night of the Leamington Licker (2018). His films include the feature films Piercing Brightness (2014) and The World We Knew (2020) and a number of award winning shorts.


about Lake »»

Pete Williams web banner

RECENT STORIES

RANDOM READS

All About and Contributors

HELP OUTSIDELEFT

Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]

WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT

If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]

WRITERS thru' the Years

Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Becca Kelly, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Cassie Thomas, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, David O'Byrne, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, J.Lee, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Thornton, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Kleo Kay, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Martin Devenney, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Burns, Paul Hawkins, Paul Mortimer, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Richard John Walker, Rick Casson, Rikki Stein, Ronan Crinion, Rowena Murphy, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Tony Fletcher, Toon Traveller, Trevi, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & Lamontpaul

OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE

Last NIght of the LTB Showrooms
OUTSIDELEFT Night Out
weekend

outsideleft content is not for everyone