Martin’s version of a mid-life crisis looks a little different than most. Hilariously ill-equipped to live off the land yet clad in a Neanderthal-like ensemble of animal skins, he wanders the Norwegian forest in a misguided attempt to find a sense of purpose and independence, a wife and two children back at home be damned. But when he crosses paths with an injured and on the run drug dealer, he finds an unlikely ally in his quest for “manhood.” Joining forces, the two bumble their way through the woods, evading panicked family, bloodthirsty criminals and hapless cops all desperately trying to track them down. An introduction to what Martin assumes is a self-sustaining community of like-minded men living in the mountains, pushes him towards an uncomfortable realization. 

Chock full of marvelously colorful characters and ingeniously original set pieces, filmmaker Thomas Daneskov co-writes and directs this truly original black comedy. With countless clever twists that continuously and often poignantly make clear the foolishness of erroneous masculinity, Wild Men surprises with each new, perfectly played turn. —Liza Domnitz

Thomas Daneskov