Pusher

Rough and ragged early effort from Refn lacks the enticing sheen that he would come to be known for; this takes a little too long to get properly moving, wasting much of the first act on a lot of redundant footage of Bodnia and Mikkelsen aimlessly wandering – becomes more engaging once the plot of desperation kicks in, but there is something about Bodnia’s performance (and Refn’s direction) that makes this feel flabbier and more sluggish than it should, leading to a second half that feels a little dull when it should be ramping up the drama. There are some isolated moments of greatness (Bodnia and Mikkelsen’s final confrontation is coldly chilling), but it’s overall a too familiar and undistinguished film.