Try to imagine the cheesiest imitation of a Bruce Willis 80s film like Die Hard, but injected with a magnum-sized dose of gay, and one will come close to picturing the delightful vibes of Cop Secret. This surprisingly great Icelandic action spoof plays up the inherent cliches of the genre to an exaggerated, preposterous extreme. Auðunn Blöndal plays headstrong overachieving “super cop” Bússi, and his rival, Hörður (Egill Einarsson), is a pansexual cop bachelor fluent in fifteen languages. The duo are a weird but steamy coupling with an undeniable chemistry.
Someone has been raiding banks, but strangely not stealing from them at the same time. The cops are left clueless, trying to get to the bottom of this bizarre phenomenon even as yet another bank is raided. Behind it all is a campy English-speaking villain, Rikki (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson), who is just as sharp-tongued as he is bumbling. His complex plot involves gold and computer viruses, and the entire affair is set to overscored music that instantly presents the 80s vibe with flying colors. To have any hope of defeating Rikki, the two rival jurisdictions will have to team up for the greater good. Will Bússi be able to resist the temptations presented by the gorgeous Hörður?
The sexuality of these two men is every bit as natural as one would hope, and does not feel forced into the narrative. The film is not afraid to poke fun at itself along the way either. Instant fireworks are had when Bússi and Hörður simply touch hands. This intimate moment is both adorable and hilarious, presenting that careful mixture that Cop Secret so often nails right on the head. I loved to see the representation of a potential gay couple against a macho setting; for me personally, it adds on that extra layer to seal the deal as being a great movie. The writers really understand what makes an action film tick, and by padding the film out with irresistible characters, one will not want to leave this zany world behind.
One-liners abound, filling nearly every moment with quotable dialogue. The finale is epically dramatic as the editing style pits the tension of a soccer game against the explosive team-up we have been waiting for the whole movie to watch unfold. Cop Secret is worth a major recommend, as it does not treat Bússi’s sexuality for the sole reason of its existence. Perfectly structured, and comedically effortless, Cop Secret is the queer action satire I never knew I needed.
Cop Secret screened at 2022’s Seattle International Film Festival.
