Arthouse filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”, 52) has realized a series project for the Netflix streaming service for the first time. The neo-noir thriller series “Copenhagen Cowboy” takes Refn back to his native Copenhagen. For the first time since 2005’s Pusher 3, the idiosyncratic auteur is shooting in Danish while staying true to his distinctive visual style. Is the new six-part Netflix series worth it?
The mysterious young Miu (Angela Bundalovic, 28) is considered a lucky charm. She is bartered to the sister of a Copenhagen underworld boss who is supposed to help her become fertile after menopause. At the same time, Miu has to do menial jobs in her new home and comes into contact with the forced prostitutes who live there. In truth, however, the young woman is pursuing her very own revenge plan.
In addition to the leading actress Bundalovic already mentioned, Netflix subscribers can experience the character actor Zlatko Burić (69) in “Copenhagen Cowboy”. Burić has just been awarded “Best Actor” at the European Film Awards 2022 for his performance in the Cannes winner “Triangle of Sadness”.
Series creator Refn directed all six episodes of “Copenhagen Cowboy” himself. The Dane is supported by the authors Sara Isabella Jønsson (31), Johanne Algren (45) and Mona Masri (37). “Copenhagen Cowboy” celebrated its world premiere at last year’s Venice Film Festival.
The revenge story about the main character Miu, blessed with supernatural abilities, tends to be neglected in “Copenhagen Cowboy”. As in the two previous works, the Amazon series “Too Old to Die Young” (2019), which was canceled after one season, and the inaccessible Bangkok thriller “Only God Forgives” (2013), series creator Refn is more concerned with to create a menacingly gloomy atmosphere full of subliminal tension.
In hypnotic neon images, the great stylist of modern art house cinema shows Copenhagen’s morally depraved underworld, which is populated by nihilistic, violent characters and resembles hell on earth. With beguiling slowness, Refn’s camera observes the often listless, stoic figures in 360-degree pans. Once again, the series maker creates images full of breathtaking beauty and coolness.
Ultimately, however, these are not able to hide the fact that the plot basically hardly progresses in the six almost one-hour episodes. Lovers of Refn’s very own style will still get their money’s worth with “Copenhagen Cowboy”. However, whether the series will also appeal to the broader streaming audience seems rather questionable.
