There's a Breaking Bad vibe to this Norwegian thriller-slash-dark-comedy, adapted from Jo Nesbo's novel. Morten Tyldum's film also depicts a relatively ordinary guy, whose discreet crime-on-the-side spirals out of control into a multi-corpse bloodbath, and who throughout never stops feeling superior and victimized.Â
Roger (Aksel Hennie) is a successful corporate headhunter who also dabbles in art theft. (In the course of job interviews, he determines whether executive candidates might have valuable artwork in their homes.) He does it for the thrill, and to keep his trophy wife in his thrall.
But when Roger attempts to lift a valuable painting from Clas (Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), things go horribly wrong. Because Clas isn't just any sleek executive, but a former special-ops-type mercenary who initiates a ruthless pursuit of the now-terrified Roger through the Norwegian countryside.
Headhunters is well paced, and keeps the story contained to just a few key characters and concerns (money and reputation, and what ends one will go to protect them). Roger is not wholly sympathetic — he's a bit of a self-important sniveler, and Hennie's pale coloring makes him appear like a not-quite-baked soft pastry. So it's up to Roger to earn our respect, and it's good, bloody fun watching it happen. In Norwegian, with subtitles. Starts Fri., June 8. Regent Square
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