Pusher (film series)

Last updated

Pusher
Directed by
Written by
  • Nicolas Winding Refn (1–3)
  • Jens Dahl (1)
  • Assad Raja (2010 remake)
  • Matthew Read (2012 remake)
Starring
Music by Peter Peter
Release dates
  • 30 August 1996 (1996-08-30)
  • (Pusher)
  • 25 December 2004 (2004-12-25)
  • (Pusher II)
  • 22 August 2005 (2005-08-22)
  • (Pusher 3)
Country Denmark
Languages

The Pusher film trilogy by the Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn illustrates and explores the violent criminal underworld of Copenhagen in gritty realism. The films hold respective scores of 83%, 100% and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. [1]

Contents

Each film is led by a different lead character; Frank (Kim Bodnia), a mid-level drug dealer in the first, his friend and associate Tonny (Mads Mikkelsen), in the second, and their boss Milo (Zlatko Burić), a Serbian gang leader, in the third. Milo is the only character to appear in all three films, with Burić also reprising his role in the British 2012 remake.

Films

Original series

Pusher (1996)

The first film follows Frank for a week, a mid-level drug dealer who becomes indebted to his supplier, Milo. It depicts his depravity and how his actions force him further and further out on thin ice while revealing the bittersweet relationship he has with his girlfriend, Vic. [2]

The film was a success, not only in Denmark, but internationally, and launched both Refn's and Mads Mikkelsen's careers. [3]

Pusher II (2004)

The second film follows Frank's low-level criminal sidekick, Tonny. It illustrates how Tonny is rooted in a spiral of crime and drugs, his relationship towards his notorious, cynical father and how he adapts to the consequence of becoming a father himself. [4] According to film critic Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times "in Refn's skilled street-realist hands, the child becomes a potent, wailing metaphor for Tonny's own dilemma of rudderless need". [5]

Pusher 3 (2005)

The third film depicts a day in the life of Serbian drug lord Milo. Milo, who was a feared and respected man in the first two films, has since aged. He does not have the same grip on the underworld that he used to and is now slowly losing the battle against a younger generation of immigrants, who now want a piece of the action. The film shows Milo's downfall and his desperate attempt to reclaim the throne. [6]

Remakes

Pusher (2010)

A Hindi remake of the same name, starring, written and directed by Assad Raja, was released in 2010. [7]

Pusher (2012)

An English-language remake of the same name, starring Richard Coyle, was released in 2012, with Zlatko Burić reprising his role as Milo from the original trilogy. [8]

Main characters

List indicator(s)
Character Original series Remakes
Pusher Pusher II:
With Blood on My Hands 		Pusher 3:
I'm the Angel of Death 		Pusher Pusher
19962004200520102012
Milo Zlatko Burić Zlatko Burić
Tonny / Tony Mads Mikkelsen Bronson Webb
Radovan / Hakan Slavko Labović Slavko Labović Mem Ferda
Branko (Vanja)Vasilije Bojičić (as Vanja Bajičić)Vasilije BojičićVasilije Bojičić (as Vanja Bajičić)
MikeLevino JensenLevino Jensen
Frank / Salim Kim Bodnia Assad Raja Richard Coyle
Vic / Flo Laura Drasbæk Agyness Deyn
Brian / Fitz Nicolas Winding Refn Paul Kaye
Hasse Peter Andersson
RitaLisbeth Rasmussen
Drug addict Thomas Bo Larsen
Officer Lars Bom
ScorpionGordon Kennedy
MikkelJesper Lohmann
Kurt the CuntKurt Nielsen
Red (Røde)Karsten Schrøder
MuhammedIlyas Agac
Jeanette Linse Kessler
Smeden / The Duke Leif Sylvester
CharlotteAnne Sørensen
ØØyvind Hagen-Traberg
GryMaria Erwolter
SvendSven Erik Eskeland Larsen
Prostitute #1Maya Ababadjani
MilenaMarinela Dekić
LuanKujtim Loki
RexhoRamadan Hyseni
AliHakan Turan

Reception

Writing for The New York Times , critic Nathan Lee said of the trilogy: "From the mean streets of Copenhagen—they evidently exist—comes the Pusher trilogy, a pungent dose of Denmark rot. Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, this tough trio of underworld thrillers sticks so close to its rogues' gallery of gangsters, suckers and murderous megalomaniacs that you can almost taste the hate and smell the stomach wounds. Given an appetite for grisly crime flicks, they make for a delectably nasty epic". [9]

Related Research Articles

Pusher may refer to:

<i>Pusher</i> (1996 film) 1996 Danish film

Pusher is a 1996 Danish crime thriller film co-written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, in his film debut. A commercial success considered to be influential in Danish film history, it marked Mads Mikkelsen's film debut.

<i>Pusher II</i> 2004 Danish film

Pusher II is a 2004 Danish crime film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. It is the second film in the Pusher trilogy, portraying the lives of criminals in Copenhagen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mads Mikkelsen</span> Danish actor (born 1965)

Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen is a Danish actor, former gymnast and dancer. He rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the Pusher film trilogy, Detective Sergeant Allan Fischer in the television series Rejseholdet (2000–2004), Niels in Open Hearts (2002), Svend in The Green Butchers (2003), Ivan in Adam's Apples (2005) and Jacob Petersen in After the Wedding (2006).

<i>Pusher 3</i> 2005 Danish film

Pusher 3 is a 2005 Danish crime film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. It is the third film of the Pusher trilogy. A Hindi remake of the first film was then released in 2010, with an English-language remake following in 2012, with Zlatko Burić reprising his role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Winding Refn</span> Danish filmmaker

Nicolas Winding Refn is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer.

<i>Open Hearts</i> 2002 film

Open Hearts, is a 2002 Danish drama film directed by Susanne Bier using the minimalist filmmaking techniques of the Dogme 95 manifesto. It stars Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Sonja Richter and Paprika Steen. Also referred to as Dogme #28, Open Hearts relates the story of two couples whose lives are traumatized by a car crash and adultery.

<i>After the Wedding</i> (2006 film) 2006 Danish film

After the Wedding is a 2006 Danish-Swedish drama film directed by Susanne Bier and starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sidse Babett Knudsen. The film was a critical success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but lost to The Lives of Others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Bodnia</span> Danish actor

Kim Bodnia is a Danish actor. He became widely known for his role as police detective Martin Rohde in the Scandinavian crime drama series The Bridge. He's also known internationally for his lead role as drug dealer Frank in Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 directorial debut Pusher, and as Konstantin in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's BBC America spy thriller TV series Killing Eve (2018–2022).

Underworld is an American action horror film series created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride. It follows characters who are caught up in a war between vampires and werewolves. Most of the films star Kate Beckinsale as Selene. The first film, Underworld (2003), introduces Selene, an elite vampire-warrior who defies her orders, and Michael Corvin, a human who gets caught up in the war. The second film, Underworld: Evolution (2006), follows Selene and Michael as they are hunted by their enemies. The third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), is the prequel to the series, chronicling the origins of the vampire-lycan war. The fourth film, Underworld: Awakening (2012), is the sequel to Underworld: Evolution. In this film, humans have discovered the existence of vampires and lycans, and are trying to eradicate both species. A fifth film, titled Underworld: Blood Wars (2016), focuses on Selene who tries to stop a new war between vampires and lycans.

<i>Bleeder</i> (film) 1999 film

Bleeder is a 1999 Danish crime drama film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The film was successful in Denmark, but did not live up to the success of Refn's previous film Pusher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zlatko Burić</span> Danish-Croatian actor (born 1953)

Zlatko Burić is a Danish-Croatian actor. He is best known for his performances in the Pusher film trilogy (1996–2005) and the films 2012 (2009) and Triangle of Sadness (2022). For the latter, he won a European Film Award and a Guldbagge Award.

<i>Valhalla Rising</i> (film) 2009 Danish film

Valhalla Rising is a 2009 English-language Danish period adventure film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, co-written by Refn and Roy Jacobsen, and starring Mads Mikkelsen. The film takes place "most certainly during the twelfth century of our era" and follows a Norse warrior named One-Eye and a boy as they travel with a band of Christian Crusaders by ship in the hopes of finding the Holy Land. Instead, they find themselves in an unknown land where they are assailed by unseen forces and dark visions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lars Mikkelsen</span> Danish actor (born 1964)

Lars Dittmann Mikkelsen is a Danish actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Grand Admiral Thrawn in various Star Wars media.

<i>Pusher</i> (2012 film) 2012 British film

Pusher is a 2012 British crime thriller film directed by Luis Prieto. It is an English-language remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 film of the same name, the second remake following a 2010 Hindi remake. The film stars Richard Coyle, Agyness Deyn, Bronson Webb, and Paul Kaye.

The Robert Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is a Danish Film Academy award presented at the annual Robert Award ceremony to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a Danish film.

<i>Only God Forgives</i> 2013 film by Nicolas Winding Refn

Only God Forgives is a 2013 action film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm. It was shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand, and as with the director's earlier film Drive it was also dedicated to Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

The 58th Bodil Awards were held on 27 February 2005 at Imperial Cinema in Copenhagen, Denmark, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2004. Nikolaj Arcel's debut film King's Game and Susanne Bier's Brothers were both nominated for five awards. King's Game won the awards for Best Danish Film and Best Actor in a Supporting Role while Connie Nielsen won the award for Best Actress for her performance in Brothers. Mads Mikkelsen won the award for Best Actor for his performance in Pusher II.

The 31st Robert Awards ceremony was held on 26 February 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Organized by the Danish Film Academy, the awards honoured the best in Danish and foreign film of 2013.

<i>Copenhagen Cowboy</i> Danish supernatural thriller television series

Copenhagen Cowboy is a supernatural noir-thriller television series created by Nicolas Winding Refn for Netflix. The first Danish-language work by Refn since Pusher 3 (2005), it follows Miu, a renegade with various psychic abilities who goes on an unknown quest on Copenhagen's criminal underworld.

References

  1. ↑ "Pusher 3". Rotten Tomatoes .
  2. ↑ Brennan, Sandra. "Pusher (1996)". AllMovie. Retrieved 30 January 2021
  3. ↑ Nestingen, Andrew K. (1 April 2008). Crime and fantasy in Scandinavia: fiction, film, and social change. University of Washington Press. p. 92. ISBN   978-0-295-98803-0 . Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Schager, Nick. "Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands (2004): B+". nickschager.com, 9 June 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2021
  5. ↑ Abele, Robert. Review: Pusher II. Los Angeles Times , 2 November 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2021
  6. ↑ "Pusher 3". Rotten Tomatoes .
  7. ↑ Raja, Assad (15 October 2010). "Pusher". Knightsbridge Media.
  8. ↑ Fischer, Russ (28 August 2010). "Movie Trailer: The Hindi Remake of 'Pusher'". /FILM . Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  9. ↑ Lee, Nathan (18 August 2006). "Film in Review; The Pusher Trilogy". The New York Times .
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