Headhunters (2012)
90%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
8 wins & 17 nominations total
Grisly, twisty, and darkly comic, Headhunters is an exhilaratingly oddball take on familiar thriller elements.
Headhunters” is like a rollercoaster ride that you’re not sure you want to be on, but once you’re strapped in, you can’t help but enjoy the twists and turns. It’s a darkly funny Scandinavian thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, and maybe even laughing at the absurdity of it all. The plot may not always make sense, but who cares when you’re having this much fun? Plus, there’s plenty of gore for those who like their movies with a side of blood. Overall, “Headhunters” is a wild and entertaining ride that’s not for the faint of heart.
Production Company(ies)
Nero-Film AG,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Uranienborg, Oslo, Norway
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for bloody violence including some grisly images, strong sexual content and nudity
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39:1
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):Norwegian, Danish, Russian, English
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Country of origin:Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 27, 2012 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2012
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnøve Macody Lund, Julie R Ølgaard, Eivind Sander, Daniel Bratterud, directed by Morten Tyldum, written by Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg, action, Norwegian language, R rating, Magnolia Pictures, box office gross $1.2M, reviewed by Bill Goodykoontz, Kimberley Jones, Rene Rodriguez, Moira MacDonald, Joe Williams, Rafer Guzman, Rita Cannon, David Harris, Nicholas Bell, MPAA rating, produced by Asle Vatn, Marianne Gray
Worldwide gross: $18,962,444
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $24,964,017
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,626
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,722,357
US/Canada gross: $1,200,010
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,579,811
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,091
US/Canada opening weekend: $43,013
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $56,627
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,153
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NOK 30,300,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Clas Greve
Synnøve Macody Lund – Diana Brown
Julie R. Ølgaard – Lotte
Eivind Sander – Ove Kjikerud
Daniel Bratterud – Vakt
Director(s)
Morten Tyldum
Writer(s)
Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg
Producer(s)
Asle Vatn, Marianne Gray
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
8 wins & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (101) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (94) | Rotten (7)
“Headhunters” is an absurd amount of grisly fun, which is a good thing, since, looked at in any great detail, it probably doesn’t hold up all that well.
June 28, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
The film holds its twists too close to the chest, and there’s little to chew on till the ambitiousness of its plotting is revealed late in the film.
June 1, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
By film’s end, we’re deep into Coen brothers territory, with an extra splash of Sam Raimi-level gore.
May 31, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
“Headhunters” isn’t a pretty film, and it doesn’t always entirely make sense, but it races along like a man chased by killers.
May 24, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Like a Teutonic techno band, this thriller is both skillfully familiar and chillingly strange.
May 18, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
“Headhunters” is a bit like an Ikea desk assembled with your nondominant arm — sleek and attractive, but likely to fall to pieces if you look at it too hard.
May 18, 2012 | Rating: 2/4
Rafer Guzman
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
The point of Headhunters isn’t where you land, but the wild ride taken to get there, and that part of the film definitely delivers.
March 4, 2021
Rita Cannon
Battleship Pretension
A grisly, darkly comic ride that will appeal to those who loved Larsson’s garish, tawdry books.
November 8, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture
A fast and loose cat and mouse caper with a fair share of surprising money shots.
July 24, 2019
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
A fun and fast-paced Scandinavian thriller with a wicked sense of humor.
June 4, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
David N. Butterworth
La Movie Boeuf
Unexpectedly and frequently hilarious, a heaped spoonful of black humour dolloped throughout.
January 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
John Nugent
CineVue
Watching [Aksel Hennie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau] play a kind of cat-and-mouse game, with unbelievable stakes, is pure entertainment.
January 3, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner…
Plot
Roger is a human resources manager in a large company and has a wonderful home and a beautiful wife, Dian who owns an art gallery. But he lives in greater luxury than he should. In order to continue this, he has a second job; art theft. Diana introduces him to Clas, a former executive for GPS tech company, who wants to work for Pathfinder, whom Roger is recruiting for. In addition to being the perfect candidate for the job at Roger’s company, he is the owner of a very valuable painting. Roger seeks the opportunity and immediately begins to plan his greatest hit. But what Clas encounters in his home will put him in a very difficult way to return.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film Headhunters stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who is best known for his role as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones.
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