Headhunters

Morten Tyldum’s, Headhunters is a visceral, brutally graphic, and stylish adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s book of the same name that, whilst slow off the mark, maintains audience imagination by taking a new and dangerous turn at every possible juncture, slowly forcing a level of empathy for its protagonist that at first seemed impossible.

Roger Brown [Aksel Hennie] is a successful corporate headhunter with a beautiful wife, a stunning home and all the trappings that come with being a hugely successful businessman, but inevitably, all is not as it seems.

Increasing financial woes - a result of lavish spending on the wife he feels he does not deserve - have led Roger to a dark place where the people skills of his day job help him to befriend wealthy art collectors, from whom he steals by night; when he makes the decision to go after the biggest heist of his life he lures himself into a dangerous and deadly game of cat and mouse

Tyldum’s adaptation makes every effort to follow the delivery offered by Nordic noir favourite, Nesbo, in his novel, whose work characteristically provides an expose of humanity’s most shameful elements, compounding them with a deep, intrinsic plot that unravels as a story oscillates between humanity and inhumanity.

Like Nesbo, Tyldum deploys evocative imagery of a violent and callous nature to convey the innermost darkness of his characters, and the depths of depravity they will go to. As a result, Headhunters is as gripping as it is entertaining. However, it does take some time for empathy to develop for its protagonist, Roger, who, to put it bluntly, is a wholly loathsome character.

Nonetheless, as the plot unfolds and the obstacles increase tenfold, Roger’s insecurities, and in turn his humanity is laid bare, and therefore his survival, and ultimate victory over those that want him dead becomes paramount. But as any reader of Scandinavian crime-fiction knows well, that isn’t always a given.

The films’ supporting cast, featuring the recognisable Nikolaj Coster-Waldau [Game of Thrones; Kingdom of Heaven]; Nordic beauty and cast member of cult-hit, Danish cop-show, The Killing, Julie R. Olgaard; and relative newcomer, Synnove Macody Lund, deliver well-rounded performances, offering a rich range of character traits that serve as respective catalysts for Roger’s character to unfold and develop.

The use of the cold, Nordic landscape is to be expected, but it is done tactfully, as the film does not depend solely on cinematography to lend its protagonist any sense of isolation, or to imbue its narrative with a sense of hopelessness, so common in this genre.

Headhunters makes for a gripping watch, and for fans of Scandinavian Crime Fiction, it has all the right elements. However, be prepared for a slow and less than gripping start, but one that nonetheless successfully sets up a fantastic and explosive finale.