Movie · 2011 · Thriller, Crime, Action · 1h 40m · R · NO
Curator score: 7.5/10 (112.3K ratings)
The hunt is on.
Overview
An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.5/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 72
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Morten Tyldum
Production
Nordisk Film Denmark, Yellow Bird, Friland, TV 2, SVT, DR
Cast
Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Julie R. Ølgaard, Kyrre Haugen Sydness, Valentina Alexeeva, Reidar Sørensen, Eivind Sander, Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Joachim Rafaelsen, Mats Mogeland, Gunnar Skramstad Johnsen, Lars Skramstad Johnsen, Signe Tynning, Nils Gunnar Lie, Baard Owe, Sondre Abel, Mattis Herman Nyquist, Irina Eidsvold Tøien, Camilla Augusta Hallan
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, nasty, darkly funny Norwegian thriller that keeps escalating from polished crime caper into full-on survival chaos. It stands out for its inventive plotting, tonal control, and willingness to get brutally weird without losing momentum.
Best for
Viewers who like twisty cat-and-mouse thrillers
Fans of crime stories with black comedy
People who enjoy escalating, high-concept genre films
Anyone looking for a lean, propulsive Scandinavian thriller
Skip if
You want a grounded, realistic crime drama
You dislike graphic violence and grotesque humor
You prefer sympathetic protagonists
You want a straightforward thriller with no tonal shifts
Overview
Headhunters starts as a sleek professional-crime thriller and then steadily mutates into something far more vicious, absurd, and entertaining. The setup is simple and efficient, but the film’s real hook is how confidently it keeps changing shape while still feeling tightly engineered.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the balance between suspense and dark comedy. The movie understands how to weaponize embarrassment, greed, and bad decisions, turning a familiar chase structure into a series of increasingly outrageous reversals. It is brutal, but rarely dull.
Bottom line
This is the kind of thriller that earns its reputation by being inventive rather than merely efficient. If you like your crime films with a mean streak, a few shocks, and a sense of escalating chaos, it delivers exactly that.
Top Letterboxd reviews
DirkH (4.5★) · 237 likes
yes, Yes, YES!!!
Now, this is what I'm talking about! It is difficult to come up with a truly original plot for a thriller and Headhunters doesn't have the most original premise, but it's execution betrays a creativity that I haven't seen in this genre in a long, long while.
There is the inevitable point in a film of this type where the main character has to be taken out of his comfort zone in order to create momentum and… more
Silent J (5★) · 153 likes
Usually, when a film has a tone that's all over the place, it can take me out of the film entirely. Not with Headhunters. For this film, the film uses it's tone and audiences expectations to it's advantage to make room for plenty of twists and turns. It starts out as a serious, straightforward crime drama and then as the plot thickens, it transitions into something more gory, bizarre, and even darkly funny. It kept me on the edge of… more Usually, when a film has a tone that's all over the place, it can take me out of the film entirely. Not with Headhunters. For this film, the film uses it's tone and audiences expectations to it's advantage to make room for plenty of twists and turns. It starts out as a serious, straightforward crime drama and then as the plot thickens, it transitions into something more gory, bizarre, and even darkly funny. It kept me on the edge of… more
Deckk (3★) · 120 likes
100-word review: This darkly comedic Norwegian thriller is one to certainly leave a lasting impression thanks to it's uniquely intense rendition of the genre. At its core, Headhunters explores themes of deception, identity, and the consequences of greed. The protagonist, Roger Brown, is a corporate headhunter who leads a double life as an art thief to support his lavish lifestyle. The film takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride as Roger's meticulously crafted world unravels when he crosses paths with a ruthless ex-military man. The black comedy emerges from unflinching portrayal of absurd situations and the characters' desperate attempts to outwit each other.
Cusack-edev (3.5★) · 110 likes
There’s a scene with a guy joyriding a tractor covered in human feces with a dead dog impaled to one of the tines. ‘Nuff said.
1998 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 2h 1m · R · Curator 8.0/10 (147.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A greed-driven thriller that steadily turns ordinary people into desperate liars.
2007 · Crime, Thriller, Western · 2h 2m · R · Curator 9.6/10 (3.1M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo
A tense pursuit narrative with ruthless momentum and a bleak sense of consequence.