Sons of Denmark
Ulaa Salim’s thriller takes us to a future Denmark swept up by a far-right political movement
In writer/director Ulaa Salim’s bleak thriller – his debut feature – a near-future Denmark is caving under far-right rhetoric and cycles of hate, leading to escalations of extreme violence. Sons of Denmark initially follows 19-year old Zakaria’s path into a radical web which leads to an assignment to assassinate the leader of the fascist National Movement. An unexpected, clever shift between protagonists gives way to the film’s second half, which is more focused and effective in structure, and follows undercover cop Malik (an excellent Zaki Youssef in his first feature role) as he struggles with his conflicting identities in a climate that becomes increasingly unsafe for his family and Denmark’s immigrant communities.
The film treads a fine line between shock value violence and cautionary critique, with some scenes tipping more towards the former, lacking much-needed subtlety. While the script suffers from a scope that seems too broad for Salim to unpack beyond surface level, his direction is nonetheless an impressive feat, and the same can be said for Eddie Klint’s excellent cinematography. An uneven yet captivating thriller, with an all too recognisable warning sign plastered on its forehead.
Released by Eureka Entertainment; certificate 15