Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
On Quartile, In Order of Disappearance scores 7/10 across five categories — strongest on Plot (Above Average), weakest on Ending (Below Average).
Upstanding community leader Nils has just won an award for "Citizen of the Year" when he learns the news that his son has died of a heroin overdose. Suspecting foul play, Nils begins to investigate, and soon finds himself at the center of an escalating underworld gang war between Serbian drug dealers and a sociopathic criminal mastermind known only as “The Count.”
In Order of Disappearance is a stylish Nordic noir dark comedy that leans heavily on the Coen Brothers tradition of absurdist crime escalation. Its greatest strength is its cinematography — the stark, snow-blanketed Norwegian landscapes are beautifully framed and give the film a genuinely distinctive visual identity. Stellan Skarsgård anchors the film with a droll, understated performance, and the ensemble of gangsters is entertainingly quirky, though the acting is solid rather than revelatory. The plot is functional — a satisfying revenge spiral that builds momentum — but it follows fairly predictable Nordic crime thriller beats without much structural surprise. Novelty is modest: while the film executes its dark comedy well and has real personality, it sits comfortably within a well-established genre tradition rather than transcending it. The ending deflates somewhat, resolving the gang war with a wry shrug that fits the tone but lacks genuine punch or memorability.