During the Nazi occupation of Denmark in 1944, two Resistance fighters operate in Copenhagen under code names Flame (Lindhardt) and Citron (Mikkelsen). On orders from their leader, they execute various Danish collaborators and then plot to kill the head of the Gestapo. Meanwhile, Flame falls for the beautiful Ketty (Stengade) who may or may not be a double agent. Loyalties are tested and boundaries are blurred as their S.S. occupiers hunt them down.

With a noir mise-en-scène, and operating in thematic shades of grey, Madsen’s brooding drama questions the nature of heroism within the fog of war. Based on a true story of two posthumously honored assassins, Madsen goes deep into the thorny issues of wartime motives. Breathless pacing, a smart, twisty script, and electrifying performances from Lindhardt and Mikkelsen combine to create a trenchant exploration of the effects of killing on a men’s souls. Light this “Flame.”