Mads Mikkelsen Starred In This Acclaimed Western Movie Nobody Saw In Theaters

Studies have shown that Mad Mikkelsen looks cool in just about anything he's in. Secretly chowing down on people as the legendary psychiatrist "Hannibal"? Cool. Dancing through the streets while fairly intoxicated in "Another Round"? Incredibly cool. One film in the Danish actor's despicably talented back catalog saw him not only look cool dressed as a cowboy but also take on both a star who would become a legend in "The Walking Dead" universe and a soccer icon who managed to hold his own against them both.

"The Salvation" was released in 2014 and directed by Kristian Levring, who told a tale set in an overlooked era of the Old West. Mikkelsen plays a former soldier of the Second Schleswig War of 1864, which saw a large group of Danes emigrate to the United States to start a new life. His plans turn to ruin, however, after a chance encounter. Shortly after their arrival, his wife and son are murdered by outlaws. Jon (Mikkelsen) inflicts swift justice, only for the altercation to reach the brother of one of his family's killers, Henry Delarue (Morgan), sparking an intense war between the two, with only one left standing. Sounds great, right? A western with Hannibal standing off against Negan in the Old West? Well, unfortunately, even with the impressive critical response the film received, it still wasn't enough to leave a mark it absolutely should've.

Although it may not be one of the Westerns you must watch even if don't like this genre, Levring's movie got significant props from critics. Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent praised the film for its attention to detail, echoing the works of Sergio Leone. "It's the detail — the fly on the dead man's face and all those close-ups of characters' stirruped boots clanking on wooden floors — that makes 'The Salvation' so enjoyable." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian also praised the film's lead, saying: "Mikkelsen makes a great western hero. In an earlier age, this might have been his entire career." Positive reviews helped return a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, but that just wasn't enough for this film to succeed. Appearing in only 28 theaters in the U.S. during its release, the movie made less than $45,000 domestically at the box office, and while it did perform better internationally with a worldwide box office total of $2.95 million, that total was still well under its $14 million budget.

While Mikkelsen undoubtedly helped give this by-the-book Western a helpful nudge being the charismatic actor that he is, there's also some exceptional support from Morgan, as well as Eva Green, Mikael Persbrandt as Mikkelsen's on-screen brother, "Game of Thrones" and "Slow Horses" star Jonathan Pryce, and soccer-legend-turned-actor Eric Cantona. Together, they make this often-bloody cinematic showdown worth watching, and you can do so right now, as it's available on Paramount+.