Mænd & Høns (Men & Chicken)   Starring: David Dencik, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Søren Malling and Nicolas Bro Distributor: Arrow Films RRP: £TBC FCD1273 Certificate: 15 Release Date: 15 August 2016

When brothers Elias and Gabriel discover they are in fact adopted, they travel to a remote island to meet their biological father and brothers for the first time. While Gabriel tries to civilise the family of outcasts, Elias finds he fits right in with them. But they soon realise there’s something strange about the brothers – not to mention a mystery surrounding the identities of their mothers and their father’s unusual scientific experiments...

Men & Chicken (Mænd & Høns in its native Danish) is a 2015 black comedy that follows two strange brothers, Elias and Gabriel, whose father tells them, on his deathbed, that he is not their real father. The two finally discover that their biological father lives on a remote island and the two siblings decide to track him down.

Both brothers have strange mannerisms - Elias feels the need to masturbate constantly, whilst Gabriel appears to have a very sensitive gag reflex. When the brothers get to the island they track down their father's house and discover they are not welcome. The building is guarded by three men - half-brothers of Elias and Gabriel - who want nothing to do with the outside world, let alone two strangers that don't live on the island.

Gabriel realises that there is something wrong with them; they're rather simple, but Elias wants to get to know them. As they start to bond. Elias soon realises that something is very wrong with not just his brothers, but also his own origins. Their father is in the house, but the brothers won't let them go to him, as he is sick, confined to his bed. If Gabriel can just get to meet him for a few minutes he's sure all his questions will be answered.

The film is played entirely straight, with the comedy coming from the unease and weirdness of the characters and situations. It's also a movie that rewards those who view the movie a second time, as there are little clues throughout the movie about what is going on and a second play through sheds a new light on these revelations.

The movie is presented in its original Danish language with English subtitles.

It's a weird film that's well worth spending a night in with.

8

Darren Rea