Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary.
Headhunters is a tightly wound Nordic noir thriller based on Jo Nesbø's novel. Its plot is genuinely exceptional — escalating with dark wit and relentless momentum, full of clever reversals and a propulsive cat-and-mouse structure that keeps surprising. Acting is solid across the board, with Aksel Hennie's wiry, morally compromised protagonist anchoring the film, though no single performance reaches transcendence. Cinematography is competent and well-suited to the tone — slick Norwegian landscapes and gritty interiors — but not visually distinctive. Novelty earns a middle score: the film blends art-heist, dark comedy, and survival thriller in an entertaining way, but the Nordic noir genre was crowded at the time and the execution, while sharp, doesn't feel wholly singular. The ending wraps things up satisfyingly with a few final twists, though it leans slightly into neat resolution rather than bold ambiguity.