The Kingdom (1994–2022) User Reviews

Atmospheric Arthouse "Almost Dogme" Series About A Haunted Hospital

[gogoschka-1 · 9/10 · 11 February 2018]

Lars von Trier's weird, crazy TV show about a haunted hospital with an amazing atmosphere and a great cast. Shows that you don't need a lot of money as long as you've got great actors, good writing and the perfect location. Shot entirely on an ordinary video camera, this is "no budget" Arthouse cinema. The second part of the series is just as good, and I only wish we would have gotten the originally planned third part as well, but the untimely death of the lead actor sadly prevented this from ever happening. Still, let's enjoy what we got. 9 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

Be prepared to take the Good, with the Evil

[jonathandoe_se7en · 9/10 · 8 July 2001]

Lars Von Trier perfects his dogme style with this fascinating Horror satire about a haunted, bizarre hospital. I watched both this and `The Kingdom II' back-to-back over one night and I must say the six hours just flew by. I've never had so much fun watching a television series before. Every thing was brilliant, the casting and sepia toned style helped give a reality of the situation and a labyrinthine theme to the hospital itself. All the actors were wonderful and totally believable. I hope they make more episodes soon; I'm hooked...

Disturbing, fascinating, sharp biting black humor...I loved it!

[KimInKentucky · 9/10 · 1 April 2004]

I reached the end of this and I was almost shouting "No, no, no, NO! It cannot end here! There are too many unanswered questions! The engagement of the dishwashers? Mona's disappearance? Helmer's comeuppance? The "zombie"? Was Little Brother saved by his father? And what about the head???????" ARGH!! Then I read that at least two of the cast members had passed on and I have to say, I know it probably wouldn't be true to Lars von Trier's vision, but I would gladly look past replacement actors just to see the ending he had planned! Granted, it would be hard to find someone to play Helmer as the character deserves. Helmer, the doctor you love to hate! I think I have yet to see a more self-absorbed, oblivious, self-righteous character on screen! But, I could overlook a change in actors....I just have to know how it ends!

Why can't American television be like this?

[Ezreal · 10 June 1999]

The closest that American television has even come close to "The Kingdom" was the recent Stephen King mini-series "Storm of the Century." Still, even this was nowhere near as engaging as this Danish mini-series. Practically none of this would ever get through through censors here.

Loopy hospital drama, restless spirits, an incubus, Voodoo... it's all here, it all makes perfect sense and it is a series that leaves one screaming for more when it ends (I will be scouring this city for "The Kingdom II" before the week is over). I won't ruin a bit of it, other than to say the closing scene shocked me so much that my original critical summery cannot be printed here. Truly amazing film-making, and definitely a glimpse of what television could be without all the censors and constant pandering to the lowest common denominator.

Cannot give this any more praise

[AdFin · 10/10 · 16 December 2001]

Acclaimed director Lars Von Trier came to Riget (The Kingdom) after the failure of his film Europa (1991) and some trouble with his personal life, weather these contrasting elements had anything to do with the set up of the story of the Kingdom is unknown, but it might explain the playfulness of the film. This was the first time that von Trier would use the documentary-style approach he continued in his Dogme film The Idiots (1998) and with this project it worked wonders at enriching the source material with a certain satire. We except straight away that these bizarre occurrences are actually happening in the largest hospital in Denmark (The Kingdom of the title) and we have no reason to doubt it. As well as visual style, the characterisation is also good, Von Trier and fellow writers Tomas Gíslason and Niels Vørsel understand that we need to be interested in the characters of a TV show if we are to follow them for the duration of the series, and the characters in The Kingdom are no exception. We have at the focus of the action Dr Helmer played by the late Ernst-Hugo Järegård, a Swede with a troubled past who despises the hospital and it's practices, his recurring catchphrase "Bloody Danes" is a memorable addition to the proceedings. But more importantly is the character of Mrs Drusse (Kirsten Rolffes), the Ms Marple type character who's strange visions of the ghostly young Mary set the ball rolling. All of the actors are perfectly cast and have a great time mixing the surreal horror with the more comedic moments. Having seen both series of the Kingdom, I would say that series two is much better, perhaps because by this time we have a better grasp on the characters, but that by no way means that series one isn't just as good, let's not forget just how important a stepping stone it is. With this one Von Trier and co-director Morten Arnfred created a modern TV masterpiece. 10/10

One of the best horror movies ever!

[sumez · 10/10 · 7 April 2001]

To me, this was the production that made Lars von Trier stand out as an extraordinary movie director and the movie, that finally pushed the Danish movie scene in the right direction!

It sort of founded the modern Danish dogma/dogme inspired movie style with its grainy colours, rash use of cutting and camera movement as well as strange, yet very realistic acting. All used to develop the perfect atmosphere around a good horror movie! There is just one thing you must remember when watching Riget/The Kingdom. It is a movie. It is entertainment. It is no comedy, yet nothing in the movie is serious. It uses sick and sometimes just weird ways of building up the horror. It doesn't have to make sense.

A lot of people may not like this because it is typically Danish, which may easily frustrate anyone who is only used to high budget Hollywood movies. The not-so-obvious deeper meaning between the lines as well as all the bold and underlined lines that have no meaning at all could confuse certain minds, but if you are prepared for a bunch of self-irony and sweet horror scenes, and if you like writers/directors such as David Lynch and Chris Carter, you are going to love this!

It is nice to see that mentally freaked out horror movies didn't die out with The Exorcist, and this definitely isn't any worse!

Quite possibly the best TV series ever

[MrVibrating · 10/10 · 25 December 2006]

Von Trier's Riget is his playground. It's fun watching and you can sense it was fun making. The cast all give top-notch performances, which is rare if there is only money involved. The directing is inspired and ambitious and best of all, it works, hand camera and all.

Riget is also a tour-de-force for Ernst-Hugo, a man who left my home town in his youth never to return. His cynical, out-of-his depth, partly incompetent and totally danophobic Swede Stig-Helmer is one of the funniest and best-played characters I've ever seen. He dominates every scene he's in, and his monologues on top of the hospital are priceless.

The rest of the cast do their best to overshine Jähregård, and they're not far behind. Krogshöj, Stig-Helmers nemesis, is really memorable, with a really unsettling gaze. Fru Drusse, played by Kirsten Rolffes, is another great character, utterly believable and also very funny. Then there's Bulder, Rigmor, the incompetent hospital director Moesgaard and his love-sick medical-student son, the mongoloid dish-washers, the elderly gentlemen of the secret society, and so on and so on.

The plot is a simple ghost hunt thing, nothing special. It's the quirks and the characters that move Riget forward. In four hours time, not a lot has happened on a larger scale, but you will still be sorting through all the details.

Riget is the concrete evidence that the Danish movie culture is superior to the Swedish. One can only hope we will ever produce something as great as this.

genre crossing comedy

[freizeitpark · 10/10 · 14 April 2001]

I first saw riget at a local theater. What was amazing was that after more than for hours every one in the audience wanted to see more (at least after a short cigarette break). However, this highly entertaining work which was, as far as I know, produced for TV is not a horror series. This is neither th X-files nor has it anything to do with friday the 13th. Sure, there are some gothic elements but it is rather a romantic ghost story. To me, it is more astonishing how easily von Trier and his great writers manage to combine several different genres. First of all this is a hospital series, different strands, none of which you would see in emergency room. The different stories meet perfectly at a hilarious finale. The main character is a swedish doctor whose scream of despair ("Dänischer Abschaum" in German, something like Danish scum) is a main event in every episode. The description of the freemason-like organization of the doctors is as brilliant as the parody of scientific ambition represented by a doctor who does some extraordinary things with his liver. Watch it, it`s great fun, but don`t expect a horror movie. In my opinion this is the best of von Triers works, because it`s the least ambitious.

Best European tv series

[jonaslund-43935 · 9/10 · 15 March 2021]

Simply one of the best and most original European tv series ever. So original, clever and visually groundbreaking it was way ahead of its time. Dont miss this one!

Von Trier Before He Became a Self-Parody

[TheAll-SeeingI · 10/10 · 12 December 2018]

Before Von Trier devolved into an inconsistent and at times embarrassing provocateur, there was The Kingdom. And decades later, it's still the mightiest, most surreal, and consistently intelligent slab of perverse dark comedy you're ever going to find. In our current climate of binge-watching, this masterpiece is something you'll want set aside six hours for and consume ravenously in a single sitting. Because for those who can suspend our disbelief long enough to smile grimly and knowingly at the ludicrous surrealism found baked into the everyday operations of our largest and most established institutions (in this case, the hospital system), The Kingdom is literally a untouchable accomplishment.

"Poltergeist" meets "The Hospital"

[KFL · 7/10 · 25 January 2002]

Actually, Bill Murray said it best in Tootsie: "This is one *nutty* hospital"

Try to imagine a Danish hybrid of Spielberg's "Poltergeist" and the George C. Scott black comedy "The Hospital", with hints of "Rosemary's Baby" and the camp humor of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" thrown in. A really bizarre trip, alternating between seriousness and biting humor, with crazy camera angles and sepia-colored cinematography.

Among other things, you'll be feted with a severed head as a valentine; an initiation ritual involving an onion and a sharp knife; seances in the geriatric ward; Haitian voodoo and zombies; girl-ghosts in elevator shafts; a pathologist who has a diseased liver transplanted into his own body; an administrator who hides under his desk to avoid greeting important guests; and a belligerent Swede who ends each episode by waving his fists in the air and shouting "DANISH SCUM!!" ...in other words, be sure your sense of humor and appreciation of the bizarre are intact when you rent this, and don't expect a dramatic masterpiece. (It is, after all, a soap opera)

So why was there a season 3?

[Wirxaw · 9/10 · 26 April 2023]

While I'll try to keep it to the minimum, I'll still mark it as a spoiler, because the title says it all already.

By now I don't think it bears mentioning what Riget is, if you haven't seen it - just do it. There's no better way to put it, it's a mandatory classic. I'm here just to talk about the third season.

Before I get critical, I'll say that it is done rather tastefully, of all the "puppeted corpses" - it's no wonder that Vor Trier could take good care of his own. The actors are all great, the scenes and the presentation - classic.

However... that's all I can say about it. It is a well-puppeted corpse. The new actors can't do better than the originals, because they aren't supposed to. Most of their characters and even scenes are designed to repeat the original. It's a nice modern, sort of "continued" take on the story, but it's the same story. And therein lies the problem. Because it more or less repeats Season 2, with some prologue parts of Season 1 - scene to scene. Everyone felt like the end of Season 2 was a cliffhanger, like "wait, really?!" And seems like... Von Trier has got tired of keeping it this way and made this season to be a definitive statement - "yes, really". Yes, Riget "really" ended on Season 2.

And I think I have a theory about that. You see, Riget itself was created by Lars von Trier and Tómas Gislason. Niels Vørsel assisted with the script, but the original, the first season was created by Gislason. And most viewers would agree that it was the first season that has cemented Riget's status as a classic.

However, for whatever reason(and this is merely a theory based on wiki data), Gislason was absent for Season 2. Whether it was a creative difference or lack of input, the "chaos" of second season was Von Tier's doing, along with Vørsel. Maybe, if the protagonists' actors haven't left us behind in this world, we could see the actual ending of the story, but now I wonder if there even was one.

Season 3 begins with a decent promise, it fools you with tributes and homages and welcomes you with the characters and personalities that you recognize and want to see. But throughout - you can see that it's just... a repeat of the old story. And while I can't say that I expected a different conclusion, if you think about the road and where it ended - you can see that it's almost literally just Season 2. Sure, some arcs have been "resolved", but the message, the underlying subject of the narrative remained the same. In other words, if you expected Season 3 to finally lay the mystery to rest, to finally answer the questions and conclude the story - you'll come out disappointed. Because sometimes, so to say, the top should just keep spinning. You may already know, or you may have made your mind about it falling down, but the very nature of it spinning is what gives the conclusion its meaning.

And, in my opinion, Riget falls into that category. Von Trier and\or Vørsel haven't told us anything that would truly warrant an entire season. While I can't say that a movie or a TV special would be enough, again, the third season IS well-filmed and a pleasure to watch, it doesn't justify its existence as a "belated conclusion". I'd say it's more like a reminder. And, as I said earlier - a sharp and final response to anyone who kept demanding a finale all these years. The box was always empty. And we should accept it as it is. Not only because the alternative would be rather boring, but because trying to fill the box would make the box itself pointless. And while Season 3, again, tried to wrap up some arcs and show some more details - it reminded us that everything happened as it was intended. No need to blame the actors.

Visually impressive and very stylish

[wbhickok · 7/10 · 25 July 2001]

It would be an understatement to say that this film will not be for all tastes. The storyline has been delved into enough so I really can't add any more to it. I will say though that the woman who plays Mrs. Drusse does an excellent job, the actor who plays Stig the pompous Swede is a real horses ass, whom you hate, but laugh at at the same time, and the telepathic dishwashers (who apparently have downs syndrome or an other similar condition) are effectively chilling. I agree with the reviewer who asked why American television can't be like this. A well done work.

Am i missing something?

[plebe · 5/10 · 7 March 2001]

I purchased this after seeing great reviews, and a high ranking. What am I missing here. It is not a bad series, but it certainly doesnt deserve this high a ranking. It simply looks like a darker oriented soap opera. Those looking for a spook or dark/scary/disturbing movie should steer away from this one.

Wildly inventive supernatural soap opera.

[Infofreak · 28 December 2001]

I am becoming fascinated with Lars von Trier. After seeing 'Zentropa', 'Breaking the Waves' and 'The Idiots', each movie different from the last, and each a minor masterpiece. Now I've watched another piece in the puzzle of his career, the fantastic (in all meanings of the word!) mini-series 'The Kingdom', and I'm once again hugely impressed! I can't think of any contemporary American or British director with his range or inventiveness.

'The Kingdom' concerns a large and sophisticated Danish hospital which is being haunted by ghosts. The doctors who work there are an eccentric bunch at the best of times, and things get progressively weirder. 'The Kingdom' successfully juggles humour, mystery, horror, soap opera and surrealism in a way not seen since 'Twin Peaks'. I found it to be compulsive viewing and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, which sadly is nowhere to be found in Australia.

'The Kingdom' I'm sure will one day be regarded as a television classic. It's THAT good. I loved it, and hopefully you will too. Hats off to von Trier!

Utterly amazing. Terrifying, surreal, and then...hilarious

[ejannsen · 10/10 · 5 January 2004]

You'll never see such an amazing spectacle. At approximately 4+ hours if rented (the whole mini series), it leaves you wanting even more. The film is shot in an over-exposed reddish-brown, and is filled with everything. Surreal terror, brilliant humor, incredible characters. It reminded me something of a cross between David Lynch's Twin Peaks series and Kubrick's version of Stephen King's "The Shining". Just incredible. Take a nice, long evening and watch it start to finish for the best effect, you won't be disappointed!

Pure fun

[mgd_m · 9/10 · 8 March 2019]

I didn't like Riget I much. It was boring, and horror stories like that had been told a thousand times before. On the positive side, Stig Helmer was one of the most memorable characters ever, and he was even better than he was in the second series. Kudos to Jaregard for an outstanding interpretation. Also on the positive side, some things were funny (Helmer with the car rims) and some were genuinely absurd (where Krogshoj lives). But overall, Riget remained well inside the boundaries of the horror genre, and the narration didn't reach the critical point where everything becomes art.

Now Riget II, a masterpiece. The second series expresses all the unrealized potential of the first one. The tone is consistently grotesque, each action and interaction is quite absurd, and all the bonds with reality have been cut. There's no suspension of disbelief anymore, because everything is obviously surreal. Still, the audience is hooked till the end following a plot that is part crazy, part logical and compelling. There's much more humor and much more horror than there was in the first series, allowing the film to reach that critical point where contrast between tones and genres creates a rich canvas of relationships and meanings. You will smile at the electric car, believe the zombie poison, and listen to extremely deep pieces of philosophy by the dishwashers and Lars von Trier himself. The last scene with Little Brother is painful and hilarious at the same time, while flirting with a cosmological, universal, spiritual significance: hats off. You will also witness delightful, unbelievable situations, that make perfectly sense within the plot: this is a subtle form of art that started to reach its full potential in the nineties.

I watched Riget II before year 2000 for the first time, and then recently watched it again. At the time, I was quite shocked by its originality. Many things that von Trier did here spread around later in film making: I think this series was really ahead of the times. For example, I could not but notice the similarities between Riget II and "Arrested Development", the comedy series: camera work, editing, jumps between scenes and subplots, dry humor, over the top characters, lots of things were exactly the same. It's like Von Trier developed a language to imagine and handle absurd situations with ease; you can notice the obvious progress he made from Riget I to II.

The best Danish show ever.

[nikosecher · 10/10 · 18 April 2022]

Riget is probably the best Danish show ever. Maybe even the best show in the world. Lars Von Trier has truly created an almost impeccable series containing both mystery and horror as well as amazing humor.

It has a number of subplots, of which all are near perfect, it has nuanced characters with both likeable and unlikeable traits and all this combined with Trier's rebellious style of filmmaking makes amazing.

Another exceptional mockery on human nature.

[taliashire · 10/10 · 11 April 2023]

"Mr. Satan" simply mock all the way to every aspect of human vanity. It has never been enough of revealing the facades of this so-called social order in a mockumentary style. It's doesn't always has to be make sense and go full on realism on everything to deliver strong feelings if your directing style choose not to take anything seriously.

As a millennial myself, i had to come up with a way to ease those anxieties coming from the impact of expectation discrepancy towards our society. Matter of fact Lars gave me a way out of this, a spiritual and artistic way. His emotions towards the ignorance and arrogance, his take on the absurdity in modern politics has been well received. His malice towards the few sane and goodwill left in the Kingdom gave me a lot of pleasure. It would be a lie if i say I don't enjoy watching those naughty traps close down any possible solution to get out of the situation. Even worse, the righteous drive of our protagonist, Karen, attempting to put all the puzzles together has eventually become the key who helped all things worked very well for Mr. Satan. It's certainly provocative for our society as the mainstream cultural values still fondly imagined do good in a most honest way possible without thinking too much will eventually benefit for each other, in fact, the kindness will screw over by the wicked effortlessly, like in the show presented, nothing fancy, nothing like offending your moral standard that kind of big move, a simple image flip of your blueprint will do just fine.

Perhaps Lars doesn't tell us what to do, but one must know your kindness may not necessarily contribute to the bigger picture as you wanted, and what's more, things may possibly got worse when you "helped", frankly you just doing it for your vanity, those part you feel good when things fit your moral. Do as you want, don't carry too much hope or expectation. As his fellow Scandinavian director Aki Kaurismäki once said: When all the hope is gone, there is no reason for pessimism. I can say I'm officially liberated by Lars's cynicism.

Perhaps Lars' demonic mind hasn't changed a bit from all his sicknesses, mentally or physically. It would be evil if i say i am glad if the mental health issues has contributed to every creations of his. It is what it is, i still treasure every bit of him, including his take on the fascists, i know he weren't joking out there in Cannes when everyone can read this statement from all his work, as the show goes in the end: Vær velberedt på at tage det gode med det onde (Next time, prepare to take the good with the evil.)

It's has been a while since my last time had a chance to soak in to a nightmarish tale for almost 6 hours long binge watching. I feel bad about the show doesn't get much credit and recognition from the critics, but Lars wouldn't like his work popularized anyway.

Not House MD.

[mikihorr · 9/10 · 30 July 2023]

Firstly, Lars Von Trier clearly watched Twin Peaks.

Secondly, The Kingdom is NOT a Twin Peaks copy. Even if Trier takes elements from Twin Peaks, AND FROM OTHER TV SHOWS !!!

Is The Kingdom bad because it's a mix of TV Shows ?

ABSOLUTELY AND UNQUESTIONABLY NO !

One of the greatest things about The Kingdom is it's a mix of comedy, silly horror and medical drama. This makes it an original masterpiece, only the intro tells it with it's mix of orchestra, pop and middle-aged choir. This series shows that a brilliant show can be made without big budget. Stig Helmer is one of the best examples for great character development, the setting is speaks for itself, the weak cameras are not taking away from the experience, they are one of the reasons for this otherworldly mood The Kingdom has.

The Kingdom is A VERY FUN SHOW.

My favorite of all time

[paulingv · 10/10 · 8 November 2002]

I saw both Riget 1 and 2 in two days and thought they were fantastic, especially the first one. These movies have everything and have been made almost like a soap-opera. I don't want to tell anything about them, but see both of them and be open minded. You gotta love the Swedish head doctor (Stig Helmer). Too bad the actor playing him (Ernst-Hugo Järregaard) is dead and von Trier is refusing to make Riget 3. I hope he changes his mind.

More than just a ghost story

[Stibbert · 7/10 · 22 November 2005]

Danish wonder boy Lars von Trier is the king and this is his Kingdom. I've seen some horror/ghost movies/series, but this is without doubt one of the best! It has everything you'd expect and more. I was expecting this mini-series to be good and it was by all means of the word.

Set at the Dansish national hospital, Rigshospitalet, nicknamed Rige (the Kingdom) a hobby spiritualist and hypochondriac, Drusse, who's been trying to contact spirits for years finally makes contact in the elevator at the hospital with a little girl who's been dead for quite some time. Strange things start to happened at the hospital, but in the living as well as the spiritual world as two of the doctors don't become the best of friends.

This is truly a great series because of a great story. It's captivating and gives you little hints now and then, but nothing conclusive until the end. It let's you think and guess. The characters are great. They are all very different individuals and that makes room for love, hate, comedy, drama and horror. It's not just the ghost story, but the story about the hospital and the people who work there as well. The series takes a rather odd look at medicine, making it all a freak show and making the hospital drama blend in good with the ghost story. You got everything, yet it's not confusing. This is a very well written series that plays on everything it possible can play on and it succeeds. It's a little slow in the beginning, but keeps you coming back and it just get's better and better. It's one of the best written ghost-stories I've ever seen.

The actors are good. There are a lot of very different characters and situations and to make this all go well together is not easy. Without good actors this would be impossible. It's such a nice mix and while their performances every now and then could've been a little better you don't really pay that much attention too it.

How thought hand held camera could possibly be this good. It brings suspense and reality too the series and it looks cool. The composition of the shots are good and the lightning is really good. The mood and feel of the series is really nice. It's well edited, with some really nice jump-cuts. Jumpcuts are usually a no-no in film-making and look bad, but it fits this series very well and the editor makes it look very good. The colors are also nice. A little reddish overall color, just make it more creepy, yet somehow it doesn't seem fake. Rather on the contrary.

The score is nice. The series got a kicking opening sequence with a nice mix of action and occult to it. There aren't that much score and that makes it all more real. The use of other sounds like the contentum to make suspense is really good.

I didn't give this series ten stars because there are some bad effects. Not many, though. There are a couple of bad bluescreen sequences and the title sequence are a little bad, but that's it. It's probably just three or four sequences, but the story kind of makes up for this, so you don't really let it bother you. On the other hand all the other effects are really nicely done and there are nothing too complain about there.

Riget (The Kingdom) is probably the best ghost-story I've seen and one of the best horror movies/series. It's a must see for any fans of this genre and a should-see for anyone else.

A must-see for anyone who enjoyed the first

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 9/10 · 27 June 2006]

Wow... 5 more hours of Riget. Lars continues the great combination of occult, dark horror and soap-opera drama. Picking up exactly where the last episode of the previous series left off(complete with the same high intensity and suspense, though that doesn't last; for better or worse), this installation in the franchise seems somewhat more bent on haste... in the last series, there seemed to pass a day or a week between each episode, whereas in this, it clearly is one long stretch... where one episode ends, the next begins. A lot can be said about Lars von Trier... but he is very diverse and pretty eccentric. Both qualities show in this. The plot continues its excellence, now giving a few regular characters that were minor players in the previous four episodes more attention. Basically every character from the first returns, at least as far as the main roles go. The pacing isn't as sharp as in the first part, and I found myself less gripped by this one. That is not in any kind of way to say that this didn't involve me, though... I still found myself constantly watching, and at several points reacting strongly, often out loud, to what was going on(extremely unusual behavior for me, as I am an incredibly silent person), as I also was during the first. Like the first, this also brings up some loaded ethical questions. Building on the foundation from the first, this brings the story further... and being a sequel, the scope is also bigger. Grander. More spirits, more bizarre occurrences, more subplots. The strong graphic material of the first also returns, and it's been kicked up a notch. The characters are developed further. The acting is amazing, as that of the first. Udo Kier solidifies his immense talent, to anyone who doubted it. Playing a very difficult character(anyone who has seen the first series can most likely figure out what I mean) *and* acting in a language he didn't speak(he was later dubbed)... and still handing in such a strong performance. The cinematography remains great, and is still very hand-held, with rapid zooms and the occasional long take. The editing is sharp, with a few direct cuts in sound(though these were more prominent in the first). Now, with all that said, I would really like to be able to rate this a perfect 10... or at least just under, like the first four episodes. I truly enjoyed watching, and I don't regret it in the least. But this does have shortcomings... the ones the first part had and more. As the first, the humor just takes up too much space... and this time around, it's even worse. There are several new regular characters that are there for no other reason than to provide comic relief... three of them, no less. Scenes are set up and executed for no other reason than to make the audience laugh. Fine for a comedy, but what is it doing in such a dark and unpleasant, yes, nothing short of sadistic at times, horror piece? Helmer's solitary secret hiding place of solitude is changed from the hospital roof... from which he could see his beloved Sweden... to a bathroom. With an angle from inside the bowl. No, you read that right. In general, the humor seems more low-brow... more sex and bodily function jokes, which, again, begs the question "Why?". Whilst most of the writing is excellent, some of it is downright dire. Several scenes are basically copied from the first mini-series(one would guess due to their popularity when it aired). At times, the drama seems a bit more bombastic than that of the first, and it jumps too much at times. Fortunately seldom, but still noticeably, plot points and items are explained away too easily(a certain character living in Denmark for no apparent reason, for example... anyone who's seen it knows who I'm speaking of). The two dishwashers, while still mysterious and insightful, become too much of a gimmick... too overexposed, in the end, I guess. Most of the scenes with them are still enjoyable, though. In addition to that, I want to reassure any reader of this that in spite of all the negative things I have just written that this is still mostly good... definitely enjoyable, compelling, powerful... and in my humble opinion, it should definitely be seen by anyone who liked the first(though if belong in that group; do not expect to feel that the story is finished after watching this any more than you did after the first). I recommend this to any fan of Lars von Trier and anyone who enjoyed the first Riget and wants more where that came from. I urge anyone who's even considering watching this to make sure you've seen all of the first before you do... I bought this before I bought the first, but I held out on watching until I had bought the first and watched that, and I can't tell you how glad I am that I did. Though this features a brief summary of the events in the first, there are an immense amount of details and aspects that you would miss out on if you didn't see it before watching this. Slightly lesser sequel, but definitely still one to watch if you liked the first. 8/10

A good sequel

[Stibbert · 7/10 · 23 November 2005]

Riget II is a good sequel, but not quite as good as the first one. This series don't seem to be quite as serious as the first one. There are much more comedy in this, good one, though.

We're back at the Danish Rigshospitalet, the Danish national hospital. Mrs. Drusse is just about to leave the hospital as her work is done, but fate want's it otherwise. She is soon chasing ghosts and Helmer is doing everyone mad and it's soon to get much worse as black powers are unleashed in the Kingdom.

This story involves a lot more comedy that the previous. By all means lot of fun, but it makes you take the series a little less serious. The story has kept a lot of elements from the last series and added some new ones. It's well written, but some of the new elements are just kind of silly, but they save it by making it more like a comedy. Good story, but not as good, original and thrilling as the first series.

The actors are the same with some addition to the regular cast. They are all very good. It's an odd story and setting. Some parts are a total freak show and the characters change during the show so to keep it serious and keep it real is not an easy job. Yet, these actors handle this whole situation perfectly.

Much of the good qualities from the first series are kept intact. The cinematography is one of those qualities. The hand-held camera that made Trier world famous gives suspense and reality to the series. It gives the camera a unique ability to move and follow the characters and Trier makes use of these abilities. Good, movement, great lightning and good composition and editing makes this enjoyable to watch.

Be prepare to see better effect in this sequel that in the first. Also be prepared to see some more. I didn't think that green thing looked all too good. Thought it was unoriginal and didn't fit. Never the less, the effects like the ghosts are really good. The non-digital effects looks good too. Little Brother looks just really odd, but you accept it. All over I'd say effects are from OK to good.

The music is also quite good. Moody and nice. Some of it are really touching. It fits really nice. As the first one there are rather little music in the action scenes and it works very well.

All together this makes a good sequel. If you'd seen Riget you can see this one without being disappointed. It has many of the same qualities as the first series. However, I would recommend seeing the first series before seeing this. These two makes up a series you don't wanna miss.

Pretentious piece of crap!!!

[tiro0 · 1/10 · 27 December 2008]

You know you are not alone at not loving something when at the end of the first episode of it, Lars shows up telling to the audience that "next episode will be better". This one is such a boring and ridiculous story that made me want to go and return the DVD and forget about giving me my money back....just get this stupid and boring story out of my life! I really don't understand the people that rate it so high. The characters are unlikeable, empty and full of absurd reactions, not to mention the production mistakes that fill the series. May God have mercy on all the people that bought this hoping to get something worth their money for! And I really envy the ones that found something worthy on this one!