Review of Pusher II (2004) by Peter F — 28 Jun 2011

A fine successor to Refn's impressive first instalment, Pusher II ditches Kim Bodnia's character Frank and instead follows the plight of his rather dim sidekick, Tonny (Mads Mikkelsen).

Refn exchanges fast paced street violence for the slow burning story of a disappointing prodigal-like son, returning home from a spell in the clink and looking to make amends. It's Refn's restraint that ultimately impresses, opting for a well crafted character study, over the frantic, drug-fuelled, cliche of a running down clock and a kilo of missing coke - so innovatively treated in Pusher I, that successfully fleshes out both the central character's and the imposing, thumping, snow-topped landscape of the Copenhagen underbelly.