Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts

8 May 2015

Dead by Dawn 2015 - Amnesia

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Genre:
Thriller
Screened:
Dead By Dawn 2015
Rating:15
Director:
Nini Bull Robsahm
Cast:
Pia Tjelta, Christian Rubeck

Amnesia, the second directing credit from Norwegian filmmaker Nini Bull Robsahm, is a slow but often jolting consideration of domestic abuse. A couple travel to their beautiful remote island getaway for a week of writing and romance. Both are authors, but Kathrine (Pia Tjelta) is perfecting her first novel in the hope she can become as successful as her domineering partner, Thomas (Christian Rubeck). After a fight leaves Thomas with serious memory loss, Katherine jumps on the opportunity to live with the man she really loves.
It’s a great idea for a horror film, but Robsahm seems ultra-cautious of letting her film become just that. Placid colouring and wide shots take a dark seedy story and try to pull its trousers up. If this had been grimier, it could have been a Nordic exploitation film, instead, its an emotionally troubling but visually dull attempt at reconciling with the aggressive male superego. Even with a run time of 80 minutes, Amnesia feels tired and somewhat irritating by its finale: a lack of drive in any real direction keeps the film from ever really impressing or- worse- finishing comfortably. But then that is, perhaps, the point: dreamy fatigued visuals project the purgatory of Kathrine’s constant struggle, whilst the lack of catharsis seems oddly fitting in a film plagued by disastrous moments of aggression.
Though brutally realistic and unrelenting in its studied portrait of abuse, Amnesia seems content to show us high-tension confrontations, but skimps on much of the between-space. Considering the film covers a week, and it’s a pretty interesting week, Amnesia can be identified by its long stretches of nothing before its few staunch moments of anguish. Though, Rubeck makes a terrifying psychopath, an amalgam of nightmarish men; controlling, cold, fierce, and, arguably worst, entitled. His performance consistently punches out from the drabness to keep the film on course.


Sadly, Amnesia is rarely gripping and infuriatingly anti-cathartic. It is however, a sincere look at what people really are and what we would like them to be.

★★
Scott Clark


26 January 2015

Win Ragnarok - The Viking Apocalypse On DVD

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To celebrate the release of Ragnarok The Viking Apocalypse, the fast-paced throwback to the kind of old-school Spielberg action we all grew up on - coming to DVD 2nd February 2015 - we have a copy to giveaway courtesy of Studiocanal.

Think the Goonies meets Jurassic Park, or Indiana Jones with a Lord Of The Rings twist.

Fast-paced, gripping but most of all fun, Ragnarok is ridiculously entertaining. And, as a bonus extra, it’ll help Marvel fans swot up on viking mythology ahead of Thor: Ragnarok. So, exciting AND educational, what more could movie fans want?

“Ragnarok is the closest you're going to get to a new Steven Spielberg movie in the manner of Jurassic Park or Raiders of the Lost Ark” Sound on Sight

Available to order on Amazon today: http://amzn.to/1tDgPgv

Archaeologist Sigurd Svendsen has for years been obsessed with the Oseberg Viking ship. The only inscription found on the ship is the enigmatic ‘man knows little’ written in runes. Sigurd is sure that the Oseberg ship contains the answer to the mystery of Ragnarok, the end of days in Norse mythology. When his friend Allan finds similar runes on a stone from the north of Norway, Sigurd becomes convinced that the runes are in fact a treasure map. Together they mount an expedition group and their adventure leads to “No man’s Land” between Norway and Russia, which has been deserted for decades. Here Sigurd learns the true meaning of the runes – a secret more terrifying than he could possibly imagine.



To Win a copy of Ragnarok The Viking Apocalypse, please answer the following question...

Q.Name the 'Viking'Film directed By Nicholas Winding Refn starring a near dialogue free Mads Mikklesen?




Deadline is Sunday 8th February 2015 (23:59pm),If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post on twitter and facebook). Must be 13  or older to enter.

1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Arrow Films .13 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only

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1 August 2014

Top Ten Scandi Thrillers

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Television in particular has seen a particular boom in successful Scandinavian shows making their way into homes of audiences here in the UK, but let it not be forgotten that cinema has had a fair bit of Scandinavian content trickling through for quite some time now, with many names in the Hollywood spotlight (Refn, Mikkelsen, Rapace, Coster-Waldau, etc.). With the Blu-ray and DVD release of Pioneer arriving on 4th August 2014 from Arrow Films, we take a look at the ten best examples of the Scandi thriller.

Pusher (1996)

Before Drive and Only God Forgives, Nicolas Winding Refn made Pusher, a Danish crime thriller which launched his ensuing career. The film follows drug dealer Frank (Kim Bodnia) who grows increasingly more desperate when a botched drug deal leaves him with a large debt owed to a ruthless drug lord. Many have deemed Pusher the first Danish-language gangster film.


The Hunters (1996)

This 1996 Swedish thriller follows a police officer who moves back to his hometown in Norrland where he starts working on a long-running case of reindeer poaching only to discover his brother’s involvement. Going down in history as one of the biggest box office hits in Sweden, talks of an American remake were scuppered when director Kjell Sundvall decided he didn’t like the idea of translating events of the film to cowboys poaching horses in the Nevada desert. A sequel - False Trail - starring character actor Peter Stormare followed in 2011



Pusher II (2004)

Nicolas Winding Refn returned to this universe in sequel Pusher II, which instead follows Frank’s sidekick Tonny (an early role for Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen) in the same fictional Copenhagen underworld depicted in the first film. Refn reused many stylistic flourishes which he featured in the first enhancing the thriller aspect more so in this sequel.


The Millennium Trilogy (2009)

Adapted from Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published trio of hugely-acclaimed novels, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was brought to life by director Niels Arden Oplev , whilst both The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest were helmed by Daniel Alfredson. The films are led by former journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) at the centre of an unlikely love story set to the backdrop of an extremely bleak Sweden in which the two of them uncover unspeakable horrors of men victimising women.


Easy Money (2010)

This Swedish thriller from director Daniel Espinosa stars Joel Kinnaman (2014’s RoboCop)as Johan Westlund, a poor man living a double life in the upper class areas of Stockholm. Upon meeting a wealthy female, he is lured into the world of organised crime turning to drug dealing in order to sustain his luxurious lifestyle. A Hollywood remake is due to be released, with Zac Efron filling Kinnaman’s shoes in the lead role.


In a Better World (2010)

Susanne Bier’s acclaimed Academy-Award winning Danish drama thriller follows two Danish families whose lives cross paths leaving loneliness and sorrow in its wake. Starring Mikael Persbrandt alongside Trine Dyrholm and Ulrich Thomsen, the film flits from small-town Denmark to an African refugee camp throughout.


Headhunters (2011)

Norwegian action thriller Headhunters is based on Jo Nesbø’s novel of the same name, and stars Aksel Hennie and Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the lead roles. The film follows a successful headhunter whop risks everything in order to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary, and successfully merges thriller with comedy. The film boasts the statistic of being the highest-grossing Norwegian film of all time.


A Hijacking (2012)

Tobias Lindholm’s Danish thriller (which he both wrote and directed) alternates between events occurring on a hijacked ship and those happening in the shipping company’s office back in Denmark. Many threw praise on the film’s ability to avert ‘conventional thrills’ steering the film into the direction of critical acclaim.


Pioneer (2014)

The Norwegian thriller Pioneer follows Petter, a professional offshore diver during the 70s, tasked with laying the first petroleum pipe in the North Sea. Following a tragic accident during a test dive, he discovers that his superiors are attempting to put a smokescreen on the true events and that his life is at stake. This well-received conspiracy embraces the claustrophobic nature of the setting to deliver something altogether more thrilling.


Fancy winning Pioneer on DVD? Over at our main site The Peoples movies you can win a copy on DVD, enter here (link opens new page)

Pioneer is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 4th August 2014 from Arrow Films

4 January 2014

Sundance 2014 - Colonel Herzog Is Back! Watch Blood Soaked Trailer for Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead aka Død Snø 2

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I should have went to Specsavers! How did we miss this one!!!In 2009 pardon the punt just when you thought the Zombie genre was dead Tommy Wirkola's Dead Snow gave hope to the sub-genre. Nearly 4 years on Colonel Herzog  and his legion of undead nazis are back , he's pissed off, enjoy the first trailer for Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead aka Død Snø 2

If the worst day of your life consisted of accidentally killing your girlfriend with an axe, chain-sawing your own arm off, and watching in horror as your closest friends were devoured by a zombified Nazi battalion, you’d have to assume that things couldn’t get much worse. In Martin’s case, that was only the beginning.

Picking up immediately where the original left off, Dead Snow; Red vs. Dead wastes no time getting right to the gore-filled action, leaving a bloody trail of intestines in its wake. Director Tommy Wirkola returns to the helm with a vengeance, coming up with more inventive ways to maim and dismember than you ever thought possible. Combining wry humor with horrific worst-case scenarios, this follow-up to the 2009 Midnight classic is sure to shock the weak-of-heart and delight even the most hard-core fans of the horror genre. Colonel Herzog is back, and he is not to be fucked with.

After a mediocre Hollywood feature debut with Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters, Wirkola will be keen prove his cult breakout film was not a one hit wonder. This trailer is thankfully with English Subtitles as it's to promote not it's cinematic release but the films World premier at this month's Sundance Film Festival. No UK release date has been set yet but do expect that to change after the festival with the film possibly playing the festival circuit. The trailer delivers a glimpse at the blood soaked snowy  carnage Film's Nazi Zombie will deliver.



Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead stars Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Martin Starr, Ørjan Gamst, Ingrid Haas, Jocelyn DeBoer. [Offical Sundance Festival Page]

source: Shocktilyoudrop

24 July 2013

Win Escape On DVD

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To celebrate the arrival of the stunning thriller ‘Escape’ - out on DVD 29th July through Entertainment One - we have a copy to give away to one lucky winner!

From the talented makers of the ‘Cold Prey’ horror trilogy and starring the utterly sublime Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, ‘Escape’ is a fast-paced rollercoaster action-thriller which follows the death-defying journey of a young girl who must escape a pack of bandits, led by the vicious and beautiful Dagmar (Berdal) before they take her to a fate much worse than death.

Ten years after the Black Plague ravaged their country, a poor family sets out on a journey for a new home. On a remote mountain pass, they are attacked by a band of merciless killers led by the vicious Dagmar (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and the only one spared is young Signe (Isabel Christine Andreasen), who is taken hostage. At the gang’s camp she meets fellow kidnap victim Frigg (Milla Olin) and learns that a terrible fate awaits her. There is nothing for it but to escape, but Dagmar will not let Signe go that easily…

We have a copy of Escape on DVD to give away and to win it please answer the following question:



Deadline to enter this competition is Sunday 12th August 2013 (11;59pm) and you must be 15 or older to enter

If you haven’t done already Like us and stay with us at our Facebook page (if you are already liking us just share this post)

Terms&Conditions:
1.The competition is not opened to employees, family, friends of The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse, Entertainment One employees who have the right to alter, change or offer alternative prize without any notice.2.All The Peoples Movies entries must be done via contact form. deadline Sunday 12th August 2013 (23:59pm) 15 years or older to enter 3.Failure to include any information required to enter could result in your entry been void.  4.automated entries are not allowed and will be disqualified, which could result you been banned, DO NOT INCLUDE telephone numbers as for security reason your entry will be deleted.5.If you are friend or like us at facebook for every competition you enter you get double entry, but you must stay friend/like us all the time,or future entries maybe considered one entry if you are liking us share the post on facebook and re-tweet the post.6.The Peoples Movies, Cinehouse takes no responsibility for delayed, lost, stolen prizes 7.Prizes may take from days to a few months for delivery which is out of our control so please do not complain 8.The winning entries will be picked at random and contacted by email for postal details and will be announced via facebook, sometimes we are unable to confirm winners. Uk & Irish entries only.

UK Competitions and Prize Draws at UKwins
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Free Competitions
ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

26 June 2013

You Need To Fight If You Want To Escape (Flukt) This July

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The director and star of the critically acclaimed Cold Prey team up once again for a thrilling, action-packed adventure that marries the best of The Hunger Games and Mad Max as a young girl fights for survival against brutal warriors in a disease-ridden medieval world.This July Escape (Flukt) will arrive on DVD in UK in July

Ten years after the Black Plague ravaged their country, a poor family sets out on a journey for a new home. On a remote mountain pass, they are attacked by a band of merciless killers led by the vicious Dagmar (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and the only one spared is young Signe (Isabel Christine Andreasen), who is taken hostage. At the gang’s camp she meets fellow kidnap victim Frigg (Milla Olin) and learns that a terrible fate awaits her. There is nothing for it but to escape, but Dagmar will not let Signe go that easily…

Escape is like The Hunger Games stripped bare – a strong heroine, fast-paced action, awesome archery, but not a love triangle in sight! It’s a beautifully filmed, uncompromising tale of survival-against-the-odds with top performances and stunning scenery that’ll leave you wanting a trip to Norway!



Escape(Flukt)is directed Roar Uthaug (Cold Prey) and stars Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Cold Prey, Cold Prey 2), Kristian Espedel aka Gaahl (frontman of Gorgoroth, Trelldom and Gaahlskagg) and the film arrives on DVD in UK on 29th July.

Special Features:


  • Visual Effects

  • Deleted Scenes

  • Bloopers





4 February 2013

GFF 2013 - New Poster For Nordic Thriller A Hijacking

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It wouldn't be same without some Scandinavian presence on our television or cinema and this May Arrow Films will release Nordic thriller  A Hijacking (Kapringen) and they have sent us this eye catching poster.

A Hijacking is written & directed  by Tobias Lindholm (writer of the Hunt) a acclaimed Somali pirate drama which stars a few familiar to fans of the recent Nordic TV invasion ,, Borgen's  Pilou Asbæk and The Killing's Søren Malling.The film is based on stories of the recent attacks from Somalian pirates and in A Hijacking it's the Danish cargo vessel, MV Rozen that falls fowl to the pirates in The Indian Ocean.

The poster symbolic with the silhouettes of a freighter ship and the gun the symbol of the pirates with the red lettering the danger sailing in the shores which could cause your life. If Lindholm  delivers the same solid storytelling like Borgen we have a powerful entertaining film on our hands and the early reviews from the films London film festival back that promise up.

A Hijacking is set for an 10th May UK&Irish release but you can catch early previews of the film at this month's Glasgow film Festival on the 20th & 21st February.

Synopsis

A tense, chilling drama following the emotional journeys of a ship’s crew as they are taken hostage in the Indian Ocean, A HIJACKING was the stand out film at the Venice and Toronto’s Film Festivals 2012.

The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the engineer Jan (Roland Møller), who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates.
A_HIJACKING_UKPoster

Did you miss the trailer? Here it is one more time....

Official Trailer


29 October 2012

King Of Devil's Island DVD Review

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King of Devil's Island (2010), though not an easy film to watch, is a drama which demands to be seen. Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Kristoffer Joner and Benjamin Helstad and directed by Marius Holst, this is a harrowing lesson in the harsh reality of human nature and man's inner strength in the face of adversity.

Based on true events, the story is set in the infamous correctional facility of Bastøy on a remote and inhospitable island in the Norwegian fjords, during the early part of the 20th century. When a new and headstrong boy called Erling (Helstad) arrives it soon becomes clear to everyone, especially Bastøy's governor Håkon (Skarsgård), that this troubled young man is not ready to conform to the strict regime on the island. Before long Erling's rebellious nature comes to the fore with life changing results for them all.

King of Devil's Island is a devastating film. Shot on location in Estonia and Norway, the mesmeric natural beauty of its setting and the minimal style and colour palette in which it is shot is breathtaking. Both the snow and ice covered countryside outside backing onto a seemingly endless sea which stretches beyond the island's rough beach, and the facility's interior monotone colour scheme of grey and white, create perfect neutral surroundings against which the action plays out.

This harsh air continues with the film's overriding realism - both in the conditions in which the boys live and in the brutality of the men who run the concentration camp facility - and at points threatens to engulf the viewer with its seeping sense of despair and hopelessness. From this angle the film works marvellously, leaving you with a real feeling of what these young men (one of whose only crime had been to steal a few pence from a church offering plate) went through, and hence an admiration for their stoic perseverance to survive in the face of insurmountable odds.

Ultimately however this film revolves around three people - Erling, Håkon and Brâthan (Kristoffer Joner) the sadistic head of Erling's section within Bastøy. That by the end of the film it is Erling and his fellow inmates with whom the viewer sides will come as no surprise. However it is the performances of the actors who bring these three disparate characters to life which is undoubtedly the most memorable aspect of the film. From the outstanding performance of newcomer Helstad as the damaged Erling to Skarsgård as the ineffectual and ultimately weak Håkon and Joner as his twisted subordinate, the relationship which plays out between these men will hold your attention until the film's final reel.

Shocking, moving and mesmeric in equal proportions, King of Devil's Island makes essential viewing if only as a warning against the extremities of human nature and man's cruelty against his fellow man.

Cleaver Patterson


★★★★


Rating:12
UK DVD/BD Release Date: 29th October 2012
Directed By: Marius Holst
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Benjamin Helstad,Kristoffer Joner, Trond Nilssen
Buy King of Devil's Island:DVD / Blu-ray

26 October 2012

Horror Channel brings winter chills

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Deep and crisp and bloody! Get ready to be frozen to the bone this November with Horror Channel’s Winter Chills Weekend – featuring some truly snow-filled spine tingling premieres.


Fri Nov 9 @ 22:55

The hills are alive – with undead Nazis as the season kicks off with the premiere of DEAD SNOW (2009), a beautifully nasty horror comedy directed by Tom Wirkola (Hansel &Gretel Witch Hunters). With a car full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life, eight medical students head out on their vacation.  Isolated in the snowy hills the group begin to realise they came to the wrong resort, as deep in the hills lay an unthinkable evil. 


Sat Nov 10 @ 22.55


The season continues with BLOOD RUNS COLD (2011). Swedish director Sonny Laguna gives the slasher genre a welcome Scandinavian make-over. Record-producer Winona heads to her hometown on the outskirts of Stockholm for a break... Shortly after settling in, she invites a former boyfriend and a couple to the house. But there is an unknown presence stirring within the house, one that has been waiting for the right moment to strike.

 

 

Sun Nov 11 @ 22.55


Wrapping up the season is sci-fi horror thriller THE THAW (2009) Directed by Mark A Lewis, it stars Val Kilmer as Dr. Krupien the head of a team of ecology students, who are examining a melting ice cap in the Arctic.  When Krupien unearths a prehistoric specimen the likes of which has never been seen, he summons four of his brightest students to take part in the excavation. But the melting polar ice-cap has released a deadly pre-historic parasite…

 

16 September 2012

King Of Devil's Island Coming To DVD/Blu-Ray This October

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Based on a true story, King of Devil’s Island follows the hope and friendship of the boys
of Bastøy in the face of adversity
 
Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Kristoffer Joner, Benjamin Helstad, and Trond Nilssen.
King of Devil’s Island is the latest stunning offering from Scandinavia. Set in 1915 enter the unsettling world of a group of young delinquents banished to the remote prison of Bastøy. King of Devil’s Island is out on DVD and Blu-rayfrom 29th October.

  Under the guise of rehabilitation, the boys’ daily regime is dictated by mental and physical abuse at the hands of their wardens. The arrival of new boys Erling (Helstad) and Ivar (Magnus Langlete) sparks a chain of events that ultimately ignite rebellion. King of Devil’s Island explores a sinister moment in Norwegian history that won’t be forgotten.  
Governor of the institute Håkon played by Stellan Skarsgard (The Avengers, Mamma Mia, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) was praised for his performance, The Guardian said he “gives a wonderfully weighted and authoritative performance”, while The Observer said “There’s an impressive force to the performances and, amid the ice and snow, the film burns with a sense of injustice”. The majority of the cast were unknown and selected based on their authentic appearance to bring the film alive. Novice Trond Nillsen “has proven to be a genuine film talent” (Marius Holst). Winner of Best Film and Best Supporting Actor (Trond Nilssen) at the Norwegian International Film Festival (2011) and Best Feature Film at Lübeck Nordic Film Days (2011), the film stars Stellan Skarsgård (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Angels and Demons, Pirates of the Caribbean, Good Will Hunting), Kirstoffer Joner (Shooting Star), and rising talent Benjamin Helstad (Body Troopers, Angel) make up a strong ensemble cast.  

Director Marius Holst (Cross My Heart and Hope to Die, Dragon Fly, Mirush), brilliantly captured the hardship the boys go through in the ice-crescent enclosure. Holst described the story behind the film as a timeless tale of injustice, repression and revolt. He felt this was a story that begged to be made into film, thus exposing the unwanted boys’ destinies.
 
The prison uprising is a stirring and thrilling finale” Daily Star Sunday
Set for release on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on 29th October, King of Devil’s Island is a desperate attempt to overthrow a brutal regime in the name of freedom.

Pre-Order/Buy The King Of Devil's Island: DVD / Blu-ray


13 August 2012

Jo Nesbo's Headhunters Blu-Ray Review

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★★★★1/2

A friend said to me recently "the bubble is going to burst" maybe but for now myself and millions of cinephiles worldwide will continue to enjoy the current wave of Scandinavian cinema (&television)that's sweeping us off our feet. The latest invader is Jo Nesbo's Headhunters (Hodejegerne), the first from an author who has refused to climb onboard the trend of book adaptation but has now thankfully gave into temptation with the end result that's nothing but fantastic.

Roger Brown (Askel Hennie) seems to have it all, a beautiful wife (Synnove Macody Lund), luxurious home, a successful business  career. He may not be tall in stature but Roger seems to keep his wife happy despite the fact he can't keep up with the mortage payments. Been that successful corporate headhunter Roger crosses paths with many similar successful people , mostly potential candidates for the the companies he's working for . Through his wife's art exhibition he meets Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who becomes the latest candidate for Roger's 'headhunting' who also help him live his alternative extravagant lifestyle by stealing high profile artwork they possess. Through Clas Roger learns he owns one of the most sought after paintings, a painting would answer all his financial problems and end this crazy alternative second 'job' Roger has.

Just as Roger pockets the painting he doesn't realise he has just embarked on his most dangerous heist to date, not even after what else he finds at Clas home. What follows after is a dark and relentless game of cat and mouse as the hunter becomes the hunted.

So what is it that's made Scandinavian cinema so popular these days?It's probably because it reminds us of the times of Hollywood before it was destroyed by 3D gimmickry and over reliance of CGI, a time when we focused on the story giving us a chance to appreciate the characters. At first when we meet Roger we don't really care much about him, he's smug, cocky, over confident, full of himself most of all insecure but as the film progress we become more sympathetic or even just empathetic as hardship prevails. As for Clas he seems the total opposite of Roger, very confident, tough as nails, alpha male providing those needs Roger fails to provide his wife, a threat.

Headhunters is a film stacked to the rafters with creativity, a little unconventional at times but in a way that the film's narrative structure holds fantastically well together. The film hits you at a fast pace you don't want to pause, step away from the screen as its a gripping exciting film start to the finish. What this film really excels at is it's ability to throw the book of common sense out the window to become a film that rarely takes itself seriously. There is moments what we're watching is totally farcical but in a way it never feels out of place with the whole tone of the film.There's one example I don't want to say much about it, but when I watched Headhunters at the cinema I volunteer for it had the majority of the screen roaring with laughter apart from those who adore animals, seeing is believing, that's all I'll say!

When it comes to calling films, writers, actors "the new...." I do tend to get a little annoyed as it brings unwarranted pressure on that person or if its a film gives the viewer a false sense of expectation. In Jo Nesbo's case he is been labelled 'the new Steig Larsson' I agree to the extent that Nesbo is keeping the Scandinavian film flag flying high but that is really where it ends. Larsson was a writer who excelled in writing dark, gritty psychological even political  thrillers as for Nesbo his stories a dark and do have visceral bloody moments but he brings comedy to the table so I would go as far as associating him more with Coen Brothers than Larsson.

Headhunters is probably the best dark satirical thrillers you'll see this year, it's neither controversial nor is it overran with violence and blood, it feels more at home with the farcical elements that made Fargo such a cult hit. As usual Hollywood has found a new cash cow, I would recommend seeing this before before it's destroyed by an un-welcomed  remake. If you really hate subtitles there is a dubbed version of the film on the disc which gives the film a extra layer of humour as the dubbed voices make this even funnier.

Paul Devine

Rating:15
DVD/BD Release Date:13 August 2012
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

To