★★★★☆
A hilarious yet surprisingly tender family drama, The Last Viking is an absurd journey of acceptance and the development of unconditional love.
It’s also about a gaggle of folks with dissociative personality disorder who believe themselves to be the members of The Beatles. They attempt to form a band, despite having never previously played any instruments. Not to mention, one of the crew has to relate everything back to IKEA in some way or another.
Directed by Andres Thomas Jensen, the Danish romp opens on a beautifully animated, twisted Viking fairytale about two brothers and their father. It’s a confusing set-up, one I’m still trying to make sense of, especially given the film’s conclusion.
There’s a metaphor in here, and perhaps it was lost in translation, or perhaps it simply serves a different narrative purpose. Regardless, it sets a peculiar scene that doesn’t reveal its relevance until the film’s midpoint.
Mads Mikkelsen is unrecognisable as Manfred/John. He fully transforms into the timid outcast of the film, effortlessly endearing and weirdly sweet; a total contrast to any other role I’ve seen him in.
He’s hilarious and has excellent comedic timing, which works perfectly for the offbeat tone of the film. His physical comedy in particular is a standout, through his constant, sudden attempts at killing himself.
It sounds bleak, but The Last Viking takes the bleakness of the classic Scandi crime drama and totally flips it into something that keeps you guessing, consistently shifting tones throughout the film.
At times, it feels almost like a parody of the genre, especially with Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Anker and Nicolas Bro as Flemming, who provide an undercurrent of extreme violence, somehow managing to add to the dark comedy of the film.
It even goes so far as delaying Anker’s character growth until the final beat of the film. It’s something that feels very true of the typical Nordic crime drama, whereby the brooding hero stays cold, unfeeling and borderline unsympathetic the whole way through.
Though what is, I’m sure, a drastic oversimplification of these mental health conditions, the film is wickedly charming and so ridiculous the laughs keep piling on, until you suddenly realise your heart is starting to warm to this band of misfits.
Silly, sweet and set with a backdrop of a beautiful Danish forest, The Last Viking is a fun twist on the typical cozy watch and is sure to get you through the Winter.
The Last Viking runs at the 2026 Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival from 9 July, with dates varying in each city.
See full city dates and venues below.
Tickets: https://nordicfilmfestival.com.au/films/nor26-the-last-viking
Website: https://nordicfilmfestival.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/nordicfilmfest/
Watch the trailer here:
Film details:
Title: The Last Viking
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Nicolas Bro, Lars Brygmann, Bodil Jørgensen, Sofie Gråbøl
Country of Origin: Denmark, Sweden
Duration: 116 mins
Rating: CTC
2026 Festival Dates and Venues by City:
Canberra: 9 July – 2 August, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 10 July – 2 August, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre
Ballarat: 10 July – 2 August, Palace Regent Cinema
Brisbane: 22 July – 16 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Adelaide: 22 July – 16 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Sydney: 23 July – 16 August, Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park and Palace Central
Perth: 23 July – 16 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square
Byron Bay and Ballina: 23 July – 16 August, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
