Headhunters (2011)

Plot of Headhunters: Roger Brown is a successful businessman providing executives for companies, while in his spare time stealing paintings with the assistance of, Ove, a man who manipulates the alarm systems of security services. We see Ove naked in a shoot out game with a prostitute, using blanks. While interviewing possible leaders for the company Pathfinder he becomes involved with Clas Greve, who has history with another company which has developed tracking systems, HOTE. Roger has a mistress Lotte but breaks up with her. While stealing a painting from Clas he comes across his wife’s phone, indicating that she is having an affair. Before he can do anything about the new information he finds Ove apparently dead, in the driving seat of his Lexus and so puts the body in the boot and drives away, the start of a voyage of disaster as he is tracked by Clas and the police. Can he survive?

Content: There is sex and nudity, with some thrusting (says IMDb guidance), and a prostitute displays herself to guys watching on a webcam, but no drugs or smoking. Roger and his wife consume wine in an elegant environment. We see Roger who seems to have it all, a beautiful wife, a good looking girlfriend and a successful life, both professionally and criminally but gradually it all falls to pieces as he ends up on the run. When he thinks there is a tracker in his cloths he has to throw everything away, but to no avail and to avoid Clas who is chasing him he has to submerge himself in the detritus in the pit under an outside lavatory. I still feel slightly queasy thinking about it. Even his former mistress is against him, and he is forced to kill her and others.

A View: This film remains Norway’s most successful film ever, made at a cost of only $3.6 million. Rather cunningly we start off envying Roger, thinking that if it all goes wrong for him we won’t care, but we end up rooting for him as he staggers from one disaster to the next. I saw it dubbed and subtitled in Spanish, but still enjoyed it, which is how films are supposed to go. The images are supposed to provide you with the story, but probably even more fun subtitled in English.

Fun Fact: With a box office of $18,962,444 it is the highest grossing film in Norwegian cinema history.