There was only one film I didn’t make it into at Fantastic Fest last year: the Nordic thriller Headhunters. Even with a press pass, I was left to bleed in the stand-by line. I ended up seeing a Japanese musical-pink film about a cheeky, mythical sea turtle – so, win-win in my book. Graciously, the Florida Film Fest recently screened Headhunters – so I was redeemed. And I was floored. Based on Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø‘s novel of the same name, Headhunters is an expertly crafted crime thriller that doesn’t rest on any genre crutches and presents a stylistic, complex look at the well-worn subjects of revenge, insatiable greed, and devotion.

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