This review originally ran in conjunction with the miniseries’ premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2022.
Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom Exodus” warrants comparisons to David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” for the many similarities between the two: both are top-notch prestige TV with indelible self-centered hallmarks that span a quarter-century. is returning for its third season after a hiatus. Both invoke supernatural, apocryphal lore and claim a hyped-up cult-like following.
Although the Danish “Kingdom” is decidedly little known, its first two seasons made enough of a cultural impact through international theatrical runs to spawn a Stephen King-produced American remake, “Kingdom Hospital.”
“Kingdom Exodus,” making its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, gets more meta. In the cold open, Karen (BODILL JORGENSEN) watches Von Trier’s signoff from last season’s finale on TV. Frustrated with the loose ends of the chain, she goes to bed and restrains herself to prevent her from sleepwalking. She experiences a nightmare, wakes up, unties herself, hops into a cab waiting inexplicably outside her house, and heads to Kingdom Hospital, Copenhagen’s infamous rigshoplet.
The imagery is primitive and dreamy at this point, straight out of “Melancholia.” As soon as Karen steps inside the hospital, the visuals immediately devolve into the washed-out aesthetic of last season. She inquires with a security guard about Mrs Druse (Kirsten Rolfs) and Little Brother (Udo Kier), who talk about a “bloody TV show” by “idiot Trier” that has caused irreparable damage to the hospital. . Karen later encounters hospital orderly Bulder (Nicholas Brown), who pulls some strings to get her admitted so he can continue the investigation.
While the series’ central battle between good and evil continues, so too does its age-old rivalry between Danes and Swedes, with the arrival of Swedish neurosurgeon Hafmar (Mikael Persbrandt), son of Helmar (Ernst-Hugo Jæregaard) from the past. season’s. Upon landing on the rooftop helicopter pad, Halfmar orders the ground crew to “take me to your leader” like some alien. He learns the hard way about the many bizarre and outrageous customs of the staff and discovers a support group for the Swedish expatriates who work there.
Director of photography Manuel Alberto Claro (a von Trier regular) and editors Jakob Schülsinger (“Force Majeure”), Mai Thordal (“A Taste of Hunger”) and Olivier Bug Cotte (“The Worst Person in the World”) faithfully has maintained the look and feel of the series despite not working on previous seasons. “Kingdom Exodus” more explicitly causes derision because of its self-reference. While previous seasons also featured handheld cameras, swipe pans, rapid zooms, and abrupt cuts, the mustard-colored cinematography made everything look so stylish that it smacked of the series’ gimmicky aspirations.
The meta-ness seems characteristic of the narcissism that has taken over von Trier’s work since last season. Camilla (Solbjorg Højfelt), a returning character, tells Karen, “The director forced us to say all our stupid things.” A guided tour of the hospital reveals von Trier’s private rooms. The filmmaker also appears as none other than the devil himself. He does not sign on during the credits like in previous seasons, however, possibly due to his recently disclosed Parkinson’s diagnosis.
While often self-deprecating to the point of good-humored self-flagellation, at times von Trier appears unapologetically defensive. Like parts of his previous feature, “The House That Jack Built,” “Kingdom Exodus” indirectly addresses the criticisms and accusations lodged against him over the years — the cinematic equivalent of subtweeting, if you will. Halfer emails colleague Anna (Tuva Novotny) a consent form for permission to back him up, which allows him to contact the resident Swedish lawyer (Alexander Skarsgård, whose father, Stellan, appeared last season as Helmer’s lawyer). Inspires, who has set up shop in a toilet. Hölffer’s ambiguous relationship with Anna comes across as some sort of thinly veiled response to Björk accusing von Trier of sexual harassment on the set of “Dancer in the Dark.”
The director also displays a disdain for political correctness in the form of its hypocrisy and lack of pragmatism. Hofmar outs herself as a bigot upon her arrival at Riggshospitalet, freely dropping offensive adjectives, though she is quick to criticize the lack of diversity among staff and the widespread use of gender-neutral pronouns. Emphasizes implementation. The latter leads to brain surgery on the wrong patient in a scene that recalls Ridley Scott’s “Hannibal,” only less explicit.
There’s nothing nearly as disturbing or memorable this season as the live birth of Little Brother. In one of the most unbalanced scenes, hot-headed Navarre (Nicolaj Lee Kaas) twice removes his own eyeball from its socket. The special effects are serviceable, but not enough to make up for some of the plot holes and logical lapses. Although the weather promises answers, it predictably opens another can of worms.
Much like “Twin Peaks: The Return,” “Kingdom Exodus” expands further on its lore, universe, and dimensions. The fear of the unknown is always relatable in this genre, and Rigshospital remains fertile ground for exploration, even though promotional materials indicate this is the final season. Perhaps ‘Twin Peaks’ also uses the doppelgänger trope as a deliberate nod to ‘Kingdom Exodus. Like those in the Black Lodge, the doppelgangers in the Riggshospital are evil and murderous.
“The Kingdom Exodus” is certainly a worthy entry in an iconic series, and fans of the show and von Trier will surely find it entertaining and well worth the quarter-century wait. However, it never resonates with the same poignancy as “Twin Peaks: The Return” in its contemplation of the passing of time. It’s a bit of a loss in that regard because it doesn’t have a lone Agent Cooper to serve as its heart and soul. Now that von Trier himself is facing illness and mortality, perhaps this will inspire the author to dig even deeper to deliver his best work.
“The Kingdom Exodus” will premiere exclusively on Mubi on November 27.