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Headhunters

Headhunters

2011
Suspense/Thriller
Crime
1h 40m
Intense and entertaining thriller packed with twists and based on award winning mystery writer Jo Nesbo's novel, Headhunters' stars Aksel Hennie (Max Manus) as an elite headhunter who finances his lavish lifestyle by stealing art from his own clients. (tiff.net)
Your probable score
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Headhunters

2011
Suspense/Thriller
Crime
1h 40m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 59.52% from 1528 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1528)
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Rated 21 Sep 2011
9
90th
This film is crazy and all kinds of awesome, like a Norwegian heist film meets 'The Fugitive' on steroids. Must've been gruesome for the lead actor but the narrative arc he's subjected to made it worthwhile. The pacing is flawless and the direction assured, all in all, highly enjoyable. I should note I was asked to join someone at the last minute, unaware of the plot or cast, like a person taking a leap into the unknown, whose outcome is uncertain. I believe this is how you should see this film.
Rated 02 Aug 2012
75
68th
A decent, if at times pretty ridiculous, crime thriller. Also I'm willing to bet that it will be the only movie you'll ever see where a Norwegian businessman is completely covered in poop, driving a tractor with a dog impaled on it. Well, unless you've seen some of my uncle Gerrit's holiday videos. Damn you and your twisted ways, uncle Gerrit. Damn you.
Rated 18 May 2012
89
90th
This movie is all about coming to terms with having a small penis.
Rated 08 Oct 2012
80
65th
How is this guy not Steve Buscemi...
Rated 28 Apr 2012
92
94th
Watched it in Boston Independent Film Festival. This one surprised me more and more with every passing minute. It started as an above average thriller, but then turned out to be an extremely sophisticated Checkov story, where every detail counts. Aksel Hennie is a mind-blowing actor. There are two scenes in this move that I will never forget (unflinching eye and hair cutting scenes) which I can say only for a handful of films.
Rated 05 Jan 2023
71
70th
I've hidden in worse
Rated 07 Oct 2012
76
62nd
Absolutely ridiculous but in an extremely entertaining fashion. Our anti-hero gets completely abused starting from about minute 20 and it doesn't let up. Recommended.
Rated 10 Apr 2012
78
82nd
Ridiculous in all the right ways until the third act, when it shifts to all the wrong ways (dialogue, melodrama, etc.) Aksel Hennie bares a distracting resemblance to Steve Buscemi.
Rated 24 Jun 2012
69
69th
I was really stunned by this Owen Wilson/James Spader/Chris Walken-like anti-hero, a too ambitious art thief who gets smashed by Jaime Lannister's unstoppable wave of violence. A nice heist film turned into a bloody -- or shitty, in a literal sense -- corporate thriller. Well, if I had to pass through all this crazy stuff just to be with Diana for the rest of my life, I would definitely go for it.
Rated 11 May 2012
68
72nd
Headhunters: starring Jamie Lannister and Steve Buscemi's eyes. The story is over-the-top, and some of the main character's decisions are undeniably questionable, but the ride is never boring. That, and it teaches us that murder is actually quite easy to get away with in Norway.
Rated 20 Feb 2017
75
81st
Despite some plotholes an overall completely enjoyable watch, that goes wildly off the rails with its glorious second act. Manus is the original hugh glass.
Rated 06 Dec 2011
80
67th
One of those movies that coast on by, and maybe you might stop afterwards and think about some of the things that don't make sense (or maybe you won't). But who cares! It's slick, polished, acted and directed well... and most importantly, it's just a lot of fun.
Rated 27 Apr 2012
79
62nd
very well directed thriller, there are some plot holes and WTF moments but overall very engaging
Rated 23 Sep 2012
83
69th
Well, if the plot was just a bit more ridiculous, it could pass as a parody of every other thriller. But it somehow manages to get away with being a decent crime thriller and an enjoyable watch. I recommend it
Rated 22 Sep 2011
70
65th
You won't have much time to think about how ludicrous it all is because this constantly entertaining thriller never slows down. Hennie commands your attention, contrasting starkly with a wooden Waldau.
Rated 12 Aug 2012
3
32nd
The narration, with its smug tone and heavy emphasis on exposition, is just awful. The story is really substandard and goes nowhere. The only time I was really thrilled was when the inevitable, idiotic plot twist kicked in, because I knew it would soon be over. But then I was wrong, and it comes full circle and concludes with even more smug exposition.
Rated 01 Mar 2012
60
52nd
To many comic relief elements ruins an otherwise great norwegian thriller!
Rated 31 Aug 2012
51
49th
The epic struggle between a man and his height.
Rated 01 Aug 2012
88
85th
Superior Norwegian thriller, wherein a corporate recruiter/art thief finds himself running for his life--and proving to himself his own worth. Twists and turns abound, while Roger's ingenuity is a thing of beauty; Aksel Hennie's superb, wholly believable performance solidly grounds it, but the whole cast does fine work. Morten Tyldum's director is slick and punchy, with the crisp editing and classy music only adding to the fun. Thrilling, funny, sexy, and clever, with a human core to it; a must.
Rated 10 Jun 2012
90
91st
Alfred Hitchcock once said "I don't care what a movie is about, but rather how it is about." This film is a perfect example of that adage. I'm still not exactly sure what the villain's motivation was, but I do know I was completely enthralled, thrilled, surprised for the entire running time of this thriller. Somewhere in the 4th or 5th dimension, Hitch is watching this movie with delight. You will too.
Rated 04 May 2012
75
61st
A totally ridiculous movie that doesn't really work as a drama -- even though it tries hard at times -- but manages to be both tense and hilarious.
Rated 31 Mar 2012
60
51st
Weirdest norwegian film i've ever seen.
Rated 23 Aug 2014
60
24th
Another technically sound, twisting thriller buttressed by a trite domestic thorn. The makers oblivious to any of the frequencies of the film medium aside from plot.
Rated 25 Feb 2014
55
21st
Competently made, compelling throughout and with a surprising undercut of surrealist darkness (the dead-dog-on-tractor sequence), "Hodejegerne" is nevertheless pretty implausible and standard-issue.
Rated 03 Sep 2015
49
11th
Scatterbrained directing, and a schizophrenic screenplay prevent this film from rising above rank amaterishness, or living up to the thriller tag. Amongst it all, it does serve up some bizarre set pieces which ensure it remains watchable even as they highlight the lack of sophistication elsewhere.
Rated 23 Jul 2013
60
31st
Not a bad film. Look for a familiar face.
Rated 02 Aug 2017
40
10th
It starts very promising, but then it goes downhill with the typical nordic absence of style and rather unemotional execution. It goes from 0 to bat shit crazy very fast, and some things feel sloppy and nonsensical.
Rated 05 Sep 2011
70
63rd
Really slick and well-made, but also not all that engaging and with a rushed and unlikely ending. But yeah, competently directed and acted, especially by Hennie (however annoying and omnipresent he may be). A pretty good time.
Rated 12 Nov 2012
80
78th
This skillfully crafted Nordic thriller is exhilarating, enthralling, and pretty much just plain awesome. It's totally absurd, but in the best way possible.
Rated 31 May 2018
85
70th
84.50
Rated 13 Dec 2012
1
0th
Like many action movies, it's preposterous, and fun as hell. Great pacing. Score is not a grade.
Rated 12 Jun 2022
70
50th
This is quite a fast paced crime/thriller with some pretty tense and gripping moments. The characters aren't particularly likeable (particularly the main character. Roger) and it felt a bit too fast and frenzied for my liking, as I didn't entirely follow all the plot intrecacies. The effects are decent but the film didn't feel entirely original somehow - its a decent film but it didn't entirely sit well with me overall. I can't say its entirely memorable either.
Rated 04 Sep 2011
76
76th
SMGs don't fire 5.56
Rated 09 Feb 2014
49
7th
These Norwegians must have lost their heads because this movie was pretty lame. My biggest complaint is that I enjoy a movie where I at least can cheer someone on. You can't cheer on the main character who's a lying, cheating dirt-bag of a husband art thief who lives well above his means...
Rated 03 Feb 2014
76
87th
It's a pretty good mostly taunt thriller that's not quite as clever as it believes that it is. Extremely well acted from the whole cast. The middle dragged a bit and the happy go lucky ending was a bit much but easy to over look. Sit back, turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.
Rated 10 Mar 2013
82
85th
What starts as a very direct mainstream modern thriller takes several twists and turns and ends up as one of the most entertaining popcorn action-thriller-comedies in recent memory. The film is masterful at two things: instantly whipping you up into its fast-paced storyline; and repeatedly raising the stakes, to extreme levels and beyond, in the style of worldwide hit thrillers like The Fugitive, Minority Report or Saw. Silly, corny, unbelievable - maybe, but it's also good clean Norwegian fun.
Rated 30 Nov 2012
85
64th
Fast, suave and intelligent. Gripping and well acted thriller. The villain acts like a little shoddy at times but the central character overshadows him. The gory moments are gory because they should have been gory and yes they are essential to the movie. I haven't read the novel but I want to do. It pays tribute to the ubiquitous Millenium trilogy from where it picks up some parts. Overall, decent, fairly decent suspense thriller which should be seen.
Rated 07 Dec 2017
75
75th
Good fun.
Rated 03 Jan 2015
56
50th
The tone is a bit wobbly here, but there's a decent story underneath it all and Jamie Lannister.
Rated 12 Aug 2020
75
83rd
The first act is pretty slow, but I love what it morphs into. A couple of (presumably) unintentional funny moments, that actually didn’t bother me. Some serious 4D chess moves in the third act really bumped up my enjoyment.
Rated 04 Dec 2011
68
69th
Surukleyici aksiyon-cinayet filmi.
Rated 08 Oct 2011
2
31st
Hennie and Macody Lund is worth the watch, but too many "funny" elements makes this otherwise great thriller somewhat of a mess. You really gets into it, and gets pulled right back out, when the cool business man is covered in sh*t. - Okay
Rated 19 Feb 2015
84
94th
Really captivating thriller. It starts out as a slick heist film and quickly descends into a surprisingly violent manhunt. Reminded me a lot of some of the really great Korean thrillers I've seen, except with a decidedly more cheery overall tone. Also surprising to learn that Buscemi speaks such fluent Norwegian.
Rated 27 Jul 2014
78
67th
Consistently over-the-top yet very entertaining and well-shot. The lead actor is very good, I couldn't help laughing at his antics, except for the doggie. What he did to that doggie was not cool.
Rated 01 Oct 2018
80
64th
80.33.
Rated 07 Apr 2015
78
68th
I am not sure if Headhunters is meant to be a comedy with some action or an Action Thriller with some laughs ... I am not Norwegian, so I dont know exactly how they think ... but I do know Headhunters was like a drunken night out with the lads: it was a lot of fun, but to someone watching, didnt make an awful lot of sense! That said, the violence was really enjoyable, so it must have been done in a very skillful way, because it was cringe making and gross, but not repulsive.
Rated 30 Jan 2013
4
63rd
A solid thriller with plenty of twists and turns, short of greatness.
Rated 07 Feb 2021
1
8th
Rated 25 May 2012
70
74th
Headhunters is a dynamic, engaging, hilarious, suspenseful character study brought marvelously to life by a taut script and flawless direction. Rarely does a movie change in tone and perception so fluidly as Headhunters and survive, but it wins from start to finish unabashed and builds to its impeccable conclusion seamlessly.
Rated 01 Feb 2015
70
83rd
eng; [headhunters]; ein headhunter sucht für seine clienten den nächsten CEO und stiehlt derweil teure kunst, doch das kann auf dauer nicht gut gehen.;
Rated 05 Aug 2013
77
76th
tablo hirsizi, is kurumunda calisan adam, güzel kadin, tuzak, kurbani izleme (nano teknoloji ve navigasyon), boka batma (slumdog milyoner), entrika, karisi tarafindan aladatilan adam (güzel karisiana pahali hediyeler almak icin pahali tablolari kopylariyla degistiren hirsiz, tanistigi bir adamin karisiyla iliskisi oldugunu ögrendiginde adami ise yerlestirmez, fakat adam büyük bir planin parcasi olarak ise yerlesecektir. Kahramanin pesinde düser.) Aksiyon var, güzel film.
Rated 31 Mar 2015
3
38th
That was...not what I expected. Or what anybody has ever expected. Put it this way, torwards the middle there's a scene where a man covered in shit from head to toe drives a getaway tractor upon which a dead dog is impaled. And it's like, oh of course.
Rated 15 Apr 2015
65
59th
I enjoyed this one a lot. I often don't like things getting unrealistic even though they make sense in the movie, but this one just kept me in it. Very well written, very well edited, directed and acted movie, even though it get ridiculous, never loses itself, just a good watch and lots of fun. Specially the stare scene in the crashed car, just wow..
Rated 22 Jan 2016
90
89th
If you want to watch a real thriller movie that's the one!!. A stunning masterpiece. it is very surprising.
Rated 12 Feb 2014
75
64th
This film is exactly why I watch non-American, non-English films.
Rated 27 Jan 2013
8
60th
Third act was insane!
Rated 19 Feb 2015
89
66th
Wow, It's like an uncanny prediction of 'I Saw The Devil'. This film is an absolute barnstormer, if only because it fits so many seemingly incongruous moods into one consistent narrative. Like Guy Richie, Tarantino and Park Chan-Wook before him, Morten Tyldum manages to fit so much raw product into his film that it is a constant pleasure to watch, despite (or because) of its constantly shifting tone.
Rated 03 Jan 2013
85
85th
Shouldn't be dismissed by the apperance of being a run of the mill thriller - it's original, captivating, and at times batshit crazy.
Rated 15 Nov 2012
88
77th
Riveting and entertaining. Ja.
Rated 05 Aug 2021
55
28th
Headhunters estreava há 10 anos no Festival de Locarno. Não entendi o hype, tem momentos que inclusive me deram vergonha alheia, mas presumo que sejam problemas da própria origem do filme no livro de Jo Nesbø. BlurayRip VXT.
Rated 15 Mar 2012
38
21st
Story is weak and often doesn't make any sense. All characters are unlikable. So what if production values are high and it looks like a Hollywood movie. Hollywood thrillers sucks anyway. There are some very graphic scenes, and some silly humor.
Rated 25 Mar 2013
70
35th
The main character has the worst case of the small man complex. Boooooooring, but recommended for middle-aged bald men with ED.
Rated 13 Feb 2012
64
22nd
Slick, preposterous and highly entertaining thriller.
Rated 03 Mar 2013
77
73rd
It was fun.. Recommended.
Rated 02 May 2012
10
9th
"Given how insubstantial Headhunters is, stopping us from thinking critically may have been the point." - Calum Marsh
Rated 22 Apr 2013
62
75th
despite the large amount of plot holes this film saves itself by being real rollicking fun for a large part
Rated 05 Aug 2012
80
77th
Unpredictable, amusing, and often gross. I can't ask for anything more from a crime film.
Rated 05 Sep 2011
50
38th
It's not bad, it really isn't, but unfortunately - while the frantic pace of the plot and the placement of the twists tickled my love for a compelling narrative - some of it just doesn't make sense. I won't say anything here, due to spoilers, but the "villain's" motivation on the small scale remains foggily incomprehensible at best. Slick, well-made, well-acted, all-around entertaining, but it's been hyped a little past its capabilities.
Rated 12 Nov 2012
75
78th
This is one of the most thrilling and suspenseful films that has come out of Scandinavia.
Rated 04 Dec 2011
80
85th
Tarantino meets Guy Ritchie and then some. That would sum it up! A bit too exaggerated at times so it could have been even better if they tried to keep to plot even smarter. Nevertheless one of the most interesting movies of the year.
Rated 04 Aug 2017
65
56th
It's a good crime thriller with a constant sense of urgency. Nothing else about it, though.
Rated 02 Apr 2012
8
92nd
This violent, implausible and darkly humorous thriller is highly entertaining. I was left never knowing where the plot would go next but found the outcome satisfying.
Rated 31 Aug 2014
93
81st
awesome
Rated 03 Oct 2012
75
73rd
A very entertaining movie, a unique genre in being a action thriller sprinkled with some comedy. Towards the end things became a bit predictable but still was enjoyable. The presentation where the lead character narrates the story is good. Overall a very good movie, a good entertainer and must watch for one and all. Some scenes might make you cringe but great movie.
Rated 18 Jul 2012
64
43rd
I thought this would be a clever kind of flick. With twists and non-linear timelines and stuff. The movie never delivers. Watch Drive instead.
Rated 18 Sep 2014
50
49th
A twisted story about an successful but insecure man who steals art to support his extravagant lifestyle and gorgeous wife. He gets entangled with a dangerous man chasing higher stakes. His life quickly descends into a battle for survival. Improbable events conspire to improve his luck. Ultimately, the story is full of holes and was not very convincing, but the ride was worth taking.
Rated 29 Aug 2012
80
76th
Goes places a Hollywood thriller wouldn't. Refreshing, dramatic and funny.
Rated 23 Jan 2016
70
26th
I was good and drunk when I watched this, and it was dubbed (always prefer subtitles) which made the experience a lot droller than it should have been.
Rated 31 Mar 2013
55
11th
Takes a turn for the fantastical and outrageous about halfway through and never really recovers. The ending was almost good, but it was done in such a way that far too much exposition was required to explain it all. Strange in that both the beginning and end have a light, almost TV-movie feel to it, which is jarring considering how brutal the middle section is.
Rated 15 Jun 2012
70
76th
That was a fun ride! Recommended.
Rated 06 Dec 2011
76
86th
Best norwegian film I have watched!
Rated 12 May 2012
65
35th
endless of unlikely events pile on top of clichés. somehow I found myself enjoying the absurdities in a surely unintended way for a few minutes somewhere in the middle, but by the end of it I was getting nauseated.
Rated 19 Nov 2012
85
73rd
Well it was my first book by Nesbo and the movie follows it very closely. Anyway Headhunters is a wild mix of the nordic toughness, cold pragmatism and some very little absurd.
Rated 22 Jan 2012
91
70th
actually it was not an action!
Rated 03 Feb 2013
75
59th
clever film. Pleasantly surprised. Nice mixture of action , suspense and thrills.
Rated 22 Apr 2012
95
93rd
Far more compelling and intense than I ever anticipated; one of the most exciting moviegoing experiences I've had
Rated 23 Mar 2021
2
11th
A little bit lifeless, with the interpersonal dramatics feeling like the contrivances they are.
Rated 19 Aug 2013
80
58th
a slick well-crafted thiller without being pretentious whatsoever. the twist was good enough,if it isn't without flaw. there was nothing new in this kind of thiller,but solid acting and being self aware for sole purpose of avoiding any dullness are enough to make it interesting. "Headhunter" was a clever fast pace thiller without being too serious or lacking some wits. even smart enough to make the character looks like deserving a second chance even though he was guilty as charge.
Rated 30 Jan 2014
4
77th
various baptisms in water, shit, and blood in a ridiculous + fun as heck journey of ego loss and rebirth
Rated 20 Jul 2020
57
66th
A couple of movie tropes get mashed up in this well-made thriller. A couple of scenes and moments felt jarringly false, like they were only there to propel the plot forward. So that hinders things overall, but it was fun, shocking, and disturbing.
Rated 02 Sep 2019
80
77th
lol

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