This is an absolutely gripping little thriller that completely destroys anything similar to come out of Hollywood in the last year or so, and the best part of it is that you start watching it with little idea of what's about to unfold. HEADHUNTERS is a Norwegian film, an adaptation of a bestselling book by Jo Nesbo, and it involved me in the thrilling, complex storyline to a level of immersement that I rarely reach in cinema. It's easily as good as other, recent film highlights such as the South Korean film THE YELLOW SEA.

The movie starts out in the corporate world of headhunting, where, as we quickly learn, it's all about reputation. Things soon shift entirely and the film becomes a chase movie. It's at this point I realised I was watching a modern masterpiece; a film in which I was glued to the screen, unable to take my eyes off what would surely unfold.

The film is extremely densely plotted – there's no lazy writing here, every scene (and every word of dialogue in that scene) is relevant to and adds to the plot in some way. The pace is lightning fast and there are few moments to breathe. There's excitement, danger and extreme violence. Even better, the movie revels in its moments of the bizarre, garnering laughs together with the gasps along the way.

Aksel Hennie, an unknown-to-me actor, blew me away with his performance as this movie's hapless protagonist. He takes you on a journey through one man's despair and far beyond, often utilising those startling blue eyes to great effect. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau trades on his GAME OF THRONES persona (as a character you love to hate) as the suave businessman who comes into Hennie's life and invariably changes it. Add to this some absolutely fantastic direction from Morten Tyldum and you have what I would call a modern day classic.

Roger Brown is a brash corporate headhunter in Norway. He spends more money than he has on his statuette wife Diana with her model looks who runs an art gallery. He's trying to compensate for his short statue but the one thing she really wants is a child. He cheats on her with Lotte and is also an art thief to support his extravagant spending. He and his unstable partner-in-crime Ove Kjikerud replace the originals with forgeries to buy time. Diana introduces Roger to a wealthy former-businessman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau).

I love this character with his inferiority complex. He's a Napolean figure and I like his marital relationship. He's a fresh take on the art thief. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau is a great threatening presence. The chase thriller is great. However there are a couple of unreal twists at the end. The ending should be more interesting.

This is a dramatic response to "How was your day"? No matter how much contempt we feel for the protagonist in this film, nothing he has done can be weighed against the circumstances he encounters. While the film is pretty far fetched, the pain and anguish he endures hits a note with anyone who has ever tried to cover up a transgression. We have someone who in his thievery finds himself in over his head in a series of demeaning, disturbing, and disgusting settings (ever wonder about the contents of an outhouse?). Like so many villains, it's one cover up after another. There are also a group of baddies whom he has made angry. He would like to start over, but circumstances become complicated. The law, of course, is also after him and that doesn't help. I was captivated by this contortionist as he bends to meet each challenge. While it would be easy to say, "That could never happen," suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.