Headhunters

Aksel Hennie was born for the role of the slippery Roger and the polished charisma of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau suits the film, but unfortunately, the originality was somewhere else. For every well-constructed idea or bizarre joke, there is also one wasted. I enjoy both the dramatic introduction and the chilling development of the thriller, but in the end, due to some minor simplifications, there is a lack of more satisfying twists. The Jo Nesbø source material has more lightness in it. (12/12/2015)

I admit that my concentration was not at the level that such a renowned Nordic film deserved (when I get a text message from my dream girl, perhaps only Stanley Kubrick has better chances...), but I can defend my three stars. I didn't like the way the story was conceived and constructed, how the director forced me to explore and enjoy the mostly physical suffering of the main character, for whom he could generate almost no sympathy at the beginning. Moreover, the plot scheme seems unnecessarily complex, contrasting sharply with the straightforward, atmospheric and suggestively violent second half, which, on the other hand, is exactly what I was looking forward to and what even Americans are not so skilled at – an entertaining, formally chilling and at times almost black-humoured whirlwind of playful and, above all, functional script tricks and naturalistic imagery, whose only weakness remains its sheer coldness and emotional detachment. It's like watching a beautiful football match, filled with goals and great action in the second half, but between Tanzania and Zimbabwe – I'll be satisfied, but I won't care how it ends :-D 65% (10/14/2015)

I enjoyed this film. It's a crime thriller with a touch of drama and pitch-black comedy, and there's even a romantic element. I’m a fan of Jo Nesbo, especially the series featuring Harry Hole. Having read “Headhunters,” I’m surprised to say I liked the film more than the book. The main "hero" was extremely unlikable from the start, my sympathy grew as he was faced with more and more shit (literally). Nikolaj Coster-Waldau knows how to portray a bad guy. He has done it many times before and pulled it off again. This is the third time I’ve seen the film. I knew how the story would develop and how it would end, and I still loved every minute of it. Plus, I have to appreciate the lesson to be taken away from this film: when traveling on public transport, always sit between two obese passengers – it’s definitely worth the temporary discomfort. (12/19/2016)

It’s been long since two dead fat people were so funny… A perfect Nordic thriller, and, against expectations, it’s not serious or depressing, but a brisk and entertaining film that knows how to make you feel tension, surprise and fun. PS: Plus points for giving a certain animal species the end it deserved (#cantavoidphobia). (11/10/2011)

Genre perversion in the Norwegian style. A heist, a drama about a guy with low self-esteem issues, exploitation, a thriller... Tyldum didn't quite handle the connection, and at times his conception is unpleasantly television-like and sterile, but some of the passages are almost divine (especially the part with shit and the tractor). Nesbo is undoubtedly a clever author – the story feels deliberately stupid only to surprise (within the genre limits) with solid twists at the end. The film could benefit from more perspective and better dialogues. The entertainment it offers is on the edge of guilty pleasure. Aksel Hennie in the main role is somewhere between Christopher Walken and Steve Buscemi... his focused and believable transformation from a complex dwarf to a man at his limit forces me to give 4* to this boundless and not-quite-managed directing weirdness. (10/26/2011)