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Looking at the global landscape and developments in the entertainment industry, many safely believe geopolitical Sci-Fi shows will take the front seat in the coming years. With the world of global politics heating up, the spectacle of science fiction in tandem will be the center stage of entertainment in the future.

And for some good news, we already have 10 shows that are excelling at leading and creating value in that genre. From time-manipulating technologies to extraterrestrial threats and parallel/alternate realities, these shows are a perfect blend of these two evergreen concepts.

1. The Man in the High Castle Asks What Happens When Fascism Wins Alexa Davalos in a still from The Man in the High Castle | Credits: Prime Video Streaming PlatformRT Score/IMDb RatingMajor Cast MembersPrime Video84%/(7.9/10)Alexa Davalos, Luke Klientank, Rupert Evans

Imagine the United States after the 2nd World War, only in this timeline, the winners were none...

Netflix’s Norsemen Is The Viking Comedy Everyone’s Suddenly Talking About (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Netflix viewers have stumbled across a Viking comedy that has managed to hit all the right notes. It is called Norsemen, and it is one of those rare shows that quietly sits in the corner while others shout for attention – until someone presses play and wonders why they hadn’t heard about it sooner.

What is Netflix’s Norsemen About?

The series originally aired on Norway’s NRK1 before Netflix gave it a global stage. What makes it unusual is how it was shot, in both English and Norwegian at the same time, per Unilad. There are no awkward dubbing or subtitles necessary unless you want them and you can jump right in and understand every absurd moment right from the start.

The series, set in 790 Ad, centers around the village of Norheim. Life there...

Netflix announced today that production of Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole has wrapped after 113 days of shooting across 160 locations. The streaming service has shared a first-look video featuring Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole and Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler in Harry’s shabby Oslo apartment.

From best-selling author Jo Nesbø, one of the leading crime writers in the world, the nine-episode series will launch on Netflix in 2026.

The streaming service also revealed that Anders Danielsen Lie, Ane Dahl Torp and pop singer Dagny (Home for Christmas) have joined the cast of the anticipated series.

Filming started on May 23, 2024, and has lasted over 113 days in Oslo, including iconic Harry Hole locations like Harry’s favorite hangout Restaurant Schrøder and Frognerbadet.

Created by one of the greatest storytellers in crime fiction, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is a whodunnit serial killer mystery led by famed anti-hero Harry Hole. Underneath the surface, this...

Deadline reports that Netflix has announced the casting of 28 actors for the upcoming whodunnit mystery series Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole. The mystery’s plot is led by “famed anti-hero detective Harry Hole. Underneath the surface, this series is a nuanced character drama about two police officers — and supposed colleagues — operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary and corrupt detective, Tom Waaler. Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons. As the two navigate the blurred ethical lines of the criminal justice system, Harry must do all he can to catch a serial killer and bring Waaler to justice before it is too late.”

The series was previously reported to star Tobias Santelmann, Joel Kinnaman and Pia Tjelta. The series is now welcoming character actor Peter Stormare (Fargo) to the cast, as well as...

Exclusive: Peter Stormare (Fargo) is among 28 new additions to the cast of Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, Netflix’s forthcoming crime series based on the novels from Norwegian author Jo Nesbø.

Others featuring in prominent secondary roles include Anders Baasmo (Power Play), Ellen Helinder (Exit), Simon J. Berger (Exit), Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Westworld) and Kelly Gale (Plane). Director Anna Zackrisson (Deliver Me) has also joined the production, which as previously reported, will star Tobias Santelmann, Joel Kinnaman and Pia Tjelta.

Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is a whodunnit serial killer mystery led by famed anti-hero detective Harry Hole (Santelmann). Underneath the surface, this series is a nuanced character drama about two police officers — and supposed colleagues — operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary and corrupt detective, Tom Waaler (Kinnaman). Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons.

If we know anything, it’s that Viking movies and shows can certainly fit into many genres but if we are talking about it seriously, Vikings on its own is a separate genre because there is a different feel to any Viking-related movie or show that can only come from this specific genre. So, if you like Vikings-related movies or shows here are the absolute best movies and shows you can find on Netflix right now.

Norsemen (Series) Credit – Netflix

Norsemen is a Norwegian historical comedy series created by Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgersen. The Netflix series is set in the 8th century and it follows the Vikings village people as they experience political rivalries, social change, and the deaths of their fellow warriors in a pretty comedic manner. Norsemen stars Jon Iver Helgaker, Silje Torp, Kåre Conradi, Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Kristine Riis, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Jon Øigarden, Marian Saastad Ottesen,...

Norwegian broadcaster Nrk has excelled in recent years at bringing bold and thought-provoking shows to the world. After their latest Canneseries winners “Power Play” (2023), “Afterglow” (2022), “Countrymen” (2021) and “State of Happiness” (2018), their latest bet “Dumbsday” (“Dummedag”) has its international premiere April 8 in the French TV festival’s main competition. It first aired on the Norwegian pubcaster Nov. 2, 2023.

The 10 x 30-minute show described by Variety as “‘Idiocracy’ meets ‘Day of the Dead’ is handled worldwide by Belgium-based Primitives which recently closed multi-territory deals in Europe on Nrk’s other comedy show, “Cammo”.

“We pride ourselves on seeking out distinctive formats and programming which will translate well across the international landscape,” said Primitives’ sales and acquisition manager Emma Gosling.

“Norway has long been a leader for its creativity and innovation, so when we acquired ‘Dumbsday’ towards the end of last year, we knew it would reach international audiences with its universal humour. It...

Editors note: This review was originally published May 22 after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The film opened in New York on Wednesday and today in Los Angeles.

Timing can be cruel. Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli’s second feature, Sick of Myself, has the misfortune to arrive in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section in the slipstream of Ruben Östlund’s divisive but funny competition title Triangle of Sadness; the latter being a broader, sillier but much more brutal dissection of class and culture. Sick of Myself also has to compete with the unexpected longevity of fellow countryman Joachim Trier’s hit The Worst Person In The World, which last year went from the Cannes competition all the way to the Oscars.

The net result is that despite another great, gutsy central performance from Ninjababy star Kristine Kujath Thorp, Sick of Myself won’t get...

"You're still beautiful." Utopia has revealed an official US trailer for a funky Norwegian dark comedy called Sick of Myself, from filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli. This premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year and also played at Fantastic Fest in the fall, as an international genre feature. Increasingly overshadowed by her boyfriend Thomas' recent rise to fame as a contemporary artist creating sculptures from stolen furniture, Signe hatches a vicious plan to reclaim her rightfully deserved attention within the milieu of Oslo's cultural elite. She creates a new persona hell-bent on attracting attention and sympathy. Reviews describe it as "the blackest of black comedies, there are moments so cringe-inducing you will curl up so far inside yourself you might implode." The film stars Kristine Kujath Thorp as Signe, Eirik Sæther as Thomas, with Fanny Vaager, Andrea Bræin Hovig, Henrik Mestad, and Anders Danielsen Lie. Don't take it so seriously, it's meant to be a brutal,...

Toxic relationships are terrible. There are no two ways about it. However, let’s just hope no one reading this ever experiences the toxicity seen in the new film, “Sick of Myself.”

As seen in the trailer for “Sick of Myself,” the film follows the story of a terrible relationship between Signe and Thomas. When Thomas earns a bit of fame as an artist, Signe decides to go a bit extreme to keep up, which leads to some really disastrous (and disturbing) consequences.

Read More: ‘Sick Of Myself’ Review: A Hilarious, Razor-Sharp Portrait Of The Worst Person In The World [Cannes]

The film stars Kristine Kujath Thorp, Eirik Sæther, Fanny Vaager, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Fredrik Stenberg Ditlev-Simonsen, Steinar Klouman Hallert, Andrea Bræin Hovig, Henrik Mestad, and Anders Danielsen Lie.

Continue reading ‘Sick Of Myself’ Trailer: Kristoffer Borgli’s Cannes Film About A Toxic Relationship Arrives In April at The Playlist.

Narvik (Kampen om Narvik – Hitlers første nederlag) is a Norwegian film directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg starring Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø and Henrik Mestad.

This is a movie that despite its good work technically, does not manage to be a “great movie” which is very likely what was expected of a production like this one.

A good movie, but not memorable.

Storyline Narvik

Norway, a supposedly neutral country during World War II, was a target for the Germans and British because of the minerals and raw goods that left from the small town in the north of Norway for both war contingents. Obviously, the equilibrium was broken and Norwegians had to take part in a battle that lasted two months.

This was the first time in which Hitler´s army was defeated in the war.

And, technically speaking: the movie is pretty good tecnically. Norway has managed to re-invent itself and,...

"You bought a horse?" That awkward moment as a teen when you have to meet your date's parents. Never fun. But what happens in this short is the worst kind of experience. 2002 (Year of the Horse) is a 10-minute dramatic short film (with some dark comedy) from Norway made by the filmmaking duo Mathias Nordli Eriksen & Matias Rygh. A winter night in Oslo, 2002. Teenagers Noah and Ingrid declare their love for each other in her bedroom. But downstairs, her parents are in the midst of breaking up. "Everything that takes place inside the house was shot in one day, so even though we went in with a plan, it was quite chaotic. The shoot became a bit of a blur," they explain. Starring Jakob Lasse Engen, Hannah Fjedbraaten, Henrik Mestad, Marian Saastad Ottersen, & Margit Hellum. Grab a glass of wine and watch below. Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for debuting this short online.

Nent Group, the Nordic region’s leading streaming company, has ordered “Furia,” an original drama series created by Gjermund Stenberg Eriksen (“Mammon”) exploring the underworld of right-wing extremism in Europe.

A co-production between Norway’s Monster Scripted and Germany’s X Filme Creative Pool Series and Zdf, “Furia” will premiere exclusively across the Nordics on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in 2021.

Repped by Keshet International, the eight-part show is directed by Magnus Martens and Lars Kraume (“The People vs. Fritz Bauer”).

“Furia” stars Ine Marie Willmann (“Exit”), as Ragna, a fiercely courageous cop who infiltrates a nationalistic subculture following a shocking killing in an idyllic Norwegian town. Working with Asgeir, a police investigator, Ragna’s journey pulls her into a spiral of hatred while a terrorist plot targeting the heart of Europe is revealed.

“It’s uncommon to see a female lead character who appears to be driven by such extreme rage as Ragna,...

Wildwitch, The Shamer’s Daughter – The Serpent Gift, The Ash Lad – In Search of The Golden Castle sell.

TrustNordisk has closed a slew of deals on a trio of its family-oriented films.

It has sold Kasper Munk’s Danish family adventure Wildwitch to Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland (Mfa+), Russia/Ukraine/Kazakhstan (Overbrick), Poland (Vivarto), Mexico (Star Castle), China (Hgc), and Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland (Imago). The film has already been released in Denmark.

Stinna Lassen and Anni Faurbye Fernandez produce for Good Company Film. The story is about a girl who discovers she is a wildwitch who has special...

Spirit Entertainment Limited

From the makers of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comes the new Nordic sensation, political suspense thriller Occupied (Okkupert). To celebrate we are giving you the chance to win 1 of 3 Blu-rays courtesy of Dazzler Media.

Set in the not so distant future where climate change has brought Europe to the brink of war, Henrik Mestad (Lilyhammer) stars as environmentally friendly prime minister Jasper Berg. He has convinced his voters that the best way to tackle climate change is to halt all oil production in Norway, sending the country and the rest of the world into crisis.

This gripping 10-part series comes to Blu-ray and DVD on 21st March 2016.

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Norwegian director Hallvard Bræin’s action comedy Børning received both the jury and the audiences’ film prize at the ceremony in Haugesund’s Maritim HallScroll down for full list of winners

Norwegian director Hallvard Bræin’s feature debut, Børning – a local twist of Cannonball Run (1981), which became last year’s most popular Norwegian film, taking 381,648 admissions – was also the big winner at the Amanda awards ceremony in Haugesund on Saturday (Aug 15).

At the TV2 Norge televised presentation in Haugesund’s Maritim Hall, preceding today’s opening of the 43rd Norwegian International Film Festival, Børning received Amandas – Norway’s national film prizes - including Best Norwegian Feature, the People’s Amanda, Best Supporting Actor (Henrik Mestad) and Best Sound Design (Fredric Vogel, Petter Fladeby).

The frontrunner for the awards - Norwegian director Bent Hamer 1001 Grams (1001 gram), which has so far toured 25 international film festivals – was nominated in six categories, but won only Best Original Screenplay.

For the first...

Filmmaker Patty Jenkins (Monster) has signed on to direct an American remake of the hit Norwegian comedy Jackpot, which is based on a story by Jo Nesb&#248 (Headhunters).

The story follows four men with dangerous pasts who all win big in a sports betting pool, although lethal complications arise when it comes time to split up the winnings. Magnus Martens directed the original film, which starred Kyrre Hellum, Henrik Mestad, Marie Blokhus and Mads Ousdal.

Dave Callaham (Godzilla, The Expendables 3) has signed on to write the screenplay, with Will Gluck (Annie) attached to produce through his Olive Bridge company. It isn't known when production may begin.

Patty Jenkins made her directorial debut with the 2004 drama Monster, which earned Charlize Theron an Oscar for Best Actress. She was, at one point, attached to direct Thor: The Dark World for Marvel before parting ways due to creative differences. She has since...

We return with the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a new trailer for Repentance and Rockabilly Zombie Weekend, details on the Sundance Next Fest Lineup, Eat Men Like Air, Mindless, and much more:

First Rockabilly Zombie Weekend Trailer: “When Becky and Grant arrive at their rockabilly-themed wedding, despite warnings of a West Nile Virus outbreak, things go horribly wrong as the mosquito-spread virus spawns zombies, who begin feeding on the wedding guests as well as the other locals. The two newlyweds have to escape along with their family and friends if they ever want to live to see their honeymoon!

Rockabilly Zombie Weekend is a new feature length horror thriller with a rocking twist on the modern zombie film. It’s currently being released on DVD on July 1st, 2014 through Green Apple Entertainment. The film (as well as other merchandise) can...

It's Friday! The weekend is here, and fun is on the horizon! Before you officially check out though, right now we have an exclusive clip from the bloody good flick Jackpot. Check it out before you break out the white leisure suit and disco dance off into oblivion.

Based on a story by Norway’s leading crime novelist Jo Nesbø, Jackpot is a Coen Brothers-inspired take on homicidal greed and betrayal, Scandinavian-style.

The cast includes Henrik Mestad, Lena Kristin Ellingsen, Fridtjov Såheim, Anne Marie Ottersen, Jan Grønli, and Peter Andersson.

Synopsis:

When Christmas tree factory supervisor Oscar Svendsen wakes up terrified and bloody in a strip joint with a shotgun in his hand and eight corpses surrounding him, he’s clearly going to have a lot of explaining to do. Under the intense interrogation of hard-boiled detective Solør, Oscar begins piecing together the unbelievable story of how he won the...

2011′s Headhunters is a refreshing blast of blackly comic Norwegian fun that mixes laughs and blood-soaked shenanigans into a deliriously enjoyable cinematic cocktail, and it rightfully exposed Jo Nesbø‘s fiction (on which it was based) to a wider audience. Remake rights were snapped up by Mark Wahlberg, Nesbø’s other books received attention from Hollywood (including one that attracted Martin Scorsese’s eye) and it even made our 2011 Best Foreign Films of the Year list. But it wasn’t the only movie that year to be based on the best-selling Norwegian author’s work. Jackpot features a lot of the same ingredients — dark comedy, graphic violence, inept criminals — but those similarities start and end at the surface. Oscar Svendsen (Kyrre Hellum) is the only survivor of a shootout that left eight people dead. The police are actually working the carnage-strewn crime scene when Oscar arises from beneath a corpse surprised both that he’s alive and...

Yellow Bird, the Swedish group behind the original The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, has begun shooting on its new high-concept series Occupied, based on an original idea by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo (Headhunters). Set in a near future, Occupied imagines a world where Russia annexes Norway to control the country's oil reserves. The occupation ignites an underground movement to drive the Russians out. Story: Canal Plus Gives Series Order to Brit Crime Drama 'Spotless' Karianne Lund is head writer on the series, which stars Henrik Mestad (Lillyhammer) and Ane Dahl Torp (Dead Snow). Erik Skoldbjaerg (Insomnia) and Charlotte

read more...

Jackpot

Stars: Kyrre Hellum, Henrik Mestad, Marie Blokhus, Andreas Cappelen, Arthur Berning, Mads Ousdal | Written by Magnus Martens, Jo Nesbø | Directed by Magnus Martens

After thoroughly enjoying Headhunters earlier in the year, I was quite geared up for a rollover of Norwegian noir from none more blackly comic Scandinavian scribe Jo Nesbø. Jackpot is another slice of Tarantino/Coen Brothers-esque crime capery with a rich seam of dark humour running through it like a nine inch nail through the cranium.

Our ‘hero’ is Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), who works at a factory that takes old plastics, chips them up (remember that, it’s important) and turns them into small fake Christmas trees. Oscar’s company specialises in employing ex-cons. As such, Oscar finds himself keeping some less than reputable company. Soon he is embroiled in a football pool with three of his colleagues, which, due to a quirk of fate, they...

Strangulations, ground-down corpses and bodies concealed inside tanning beds... surely we're talking about Tarantino or perhaps even one of the Coens' grittier films? Jackpot follows on from the phenomenal surprise success of last year's Headhunters, using another Jo Nesbo novel as source material for this darkly comic crime story. Having sold over nine million books, Norway's leading crime writer doesn't disappoint, again helping to sustain Scandinavia's current reputation as producers of high quality crime fiction.

Opening with a police interview set-up, Oscar Svendson (Kyrre Hellum) is quickly established as the film's protagonist. Combining filmed footage through the camera and 'live' action, Director and co-writer, Magnus Martens, uses Oscar's vulnerable situation to quickly make him a sympathetic lead. Having woken up weighed down by a corpse and surrounded by seven others in a Swedish strip joint, covered in blood and carrying a shotgun, Oscar has a lot of explaining to do...

This highly entertaining Scandinavian thriller unfolds in a series of flashbacks after a massacre just before Christmas at a seedy strip joint outside a small town near the border between Norway and Sweden south-west of Oslo. The only survivor, found covered in blood and clutching a gun under the corpse of a blowsy stripper, is Oscar, who manages a small factory employing ex-convicts. As the snow falls, he's interrogated by the sardonic Norwegian police detective Solør (a splendid performance from Henrik Mestad), who is constantly surprised by finding that Oscar's wildly unlikely story seems to add up. Funny, outrageous and often surprising, it manages to combine black comedy with convincing police procedural detail and is based on a story by the redoubtable Jo Nesbø, whose novel Headhunters was successfully filmed earlier this year. The chief influences are The Usual Suspects, Fargo and Elmore Leonard, but it has a unique Nordic flavour à la Wallander.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (15)

(Alison Klayman, 2012, Us) Ai Weiwei, Danqing Chen, Ying Gao. 91 mins

Art and activism merge in this fascinating inside portrait of China's best known artist, which conveys both the roots of Ai's provocations and the authorities' paranoid responses to them. He comes across as a fearless creator, a reluctant hero, a committed campaigner and a fallible human being, treading a perilous line between the adoring global art market and China's Kafkaesque state apparatus.

360 (15)

(Fernando Meirelles, 2011, UK/Aus/Fra/Bra) Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law. 110 mins

Suffering from a surfeit of international stars and locations, this join-the-dots drama zips between a series of emotional episodes without ever gaining much momentum.

The Dinosaur Project (12A)

(Sid Bennett, 2012, UK) Natasha Loring, Matt Kane, Peter Brooke. 83 mins

Chatty Brit explorers regret discovering a modern-day Lost World in the Congo in this low-budget cross between Monsters and Jurassic Park.

The Forgiveness Of Blood (12A)

(Joshua Marston,...

I heard “based on a novel by Jo Nesbo,” and I thought: Heh heh. Because Headhunters, also adapted from a Nesbo book, is wickedly funny and sharply pointed in ways that very few other crime films would ever go near. Could I dare to hope that another film would even come close to doing the same? Alas, Jackpot does not. (This was written and directed by Magnus Martens, who was not involved with Headhunters.) Oh, to be sure, it has some outrageously, disgustingly funny moments -- I laughed a lot, in isolated bursts -- but it’s lacking that certain oomph that would make it unquestionably brilliant. As the film opens, we meet Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), a regular schmoe with a Chris Evans vibe, except he’s a bit dumb. Oscar was discovered, uninjured, under a dead body after a shootout at a sex shop/strip club, which makes me...

Here’s the UK trailer for Jackpot which is based on the book by Jo Nesbo (who has sold over 9 million books!) and will be with us 10th August. It’s directed by Magnus Martens and stars Kyrre Hellum, Marie Blokhus, Henrik Mestad, Mads Ousdal, Arthur Berning and Andreas Cappelen. We’re hearing good things abut this one and it’s well worth checking out next week when it’s released in a cinema near you. Check out the trailer below.

Oscar Svendsen wakes up, terrified and bloodied; a shotgun in his hands, in what was once a respectable strip joint near Svinesund, Sweden. He is surrounded by eight bodies, and police detective Solør has a gun aimed at his chest. Solør is convinced of his guilt, but Oscar persistently denies any wrongdoing.

Reluctantly Oscar starts relating the incredible story of four men who won top prize in a soccer...

Jackpot

Stars: Kyrre Hellum, Henrik Mestad, Marie Blokhus, Andreas Cappelen, Arthur Berning, Mads Ousdal | Written by Magnus Martens, Jo Nesbø | Directed by Magnus Martens

After thoroughly enjoying Headhunters earlier in the year, I was quite geared up for a rollover of Norwegian noir from none more blackly comic Scandinavian scribe Jo Nesbø. Jackpot is another slice of Tarantino/Coen Brothers-esque crime capery with a rich seam of dark humour running through it like a nine inch nail through the cranium.

Our ‘hero’ is Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), who works at a factory that takes old plastics, chips them up (remember that, it’s important) and turns them into small fake Christmas trees. Oscar’s company specialises in employing ex-cons. As such, Oscar finds himself keeping some less than reputable company. Soon he is embroiled in a football pool with three of his colleagues, which, due to a quirk of fate, they...

From Scandinavian writer Jo Nesbø comes another adaptation of his work 'Jackpot' which looks to follow in the success of 'Headhunters.' Directed by Magnus Martens the film stars Kyrre Hellum, Henrik Mestad and Marie Blokhus.

Oscar Svendsen (Kyrre Hellum), a factory worker who wakes up in a Swedish town to find himself surrounded by dead bodies and with a policeman's gun aimed at his chest. But how did it come to this? Oscar recounts the story of a big win on the football pools, a group of ex-cons and a whole lot of nastiness.

'Jackpot' is out on August 10.

Oscar Svendsen (Kyrre Hellum) wakes up in a seedy strip club, underneath the body of a dead oversized stripper, and surrounded by cops. What follows is the story of how he got there told mostly through flashbacks while being investigated by a very thorough and incredibly compelling detective (Henrik Mestad). This is a tale of lottery, greed, corruption and fake recycled Christmas trees.

Jackpot is bloody good fun, pure and simple. It is a pitch black Norwegian comedy that tosses around clever dialogue and dead bodies with glee. The structure is similar to films like The Usual Suspects and there are familiar elements throughout, although it all still feels fresh and fun. Jo Nesbo.s writing is sharp and each character is a good mix of quirky and dangerous. Director Magnus Martens handles the material quite well and strikes a good balance of comedy, blood splatter and intrigue. There are...

Jackpot

Written by Magnus Martens

Directed by Magnus Martens

Norway, 2011

Perhaps the cold in Norway brings something ugly out of people, or perhaps the ugliness was always there and the cold is merely a coincidence. The new Norwegian comedy Jackpot doesn’t take an opinion either way, but instead simply drops the ugliness on a plate and garnishes it up with so much absurdity that it will be impossible not to laugh.

Oskar (Kyrre Hellum) and three of his co-workers hit the top prize in a soccer-picking lottery, with more than 1.7 million kroner to split between them. As one might imagine, that’s not the end of their problems, but merely the beginning, as they start turning on each other before their celebratory bender is even finished. Then the best-laid plans to get away with the resulting murders go wrong, and the best-laid backup plans go wrong, leading to more...

Once referred to as “the Ridley Scott of Norway" by film historian Peter Cowie, director Hans Petter Moland isn’t quite as prolific as his English counterpart but he is a talented dude. His last film, 2006’s Comrade Pedersen failed to make any major splashes internationally but it looks like Moland is forging ahead with a totally different tone. This time around, a comedy which is likely to bring him a little international love.

A Somewhat Gentle Man (“En ganske snill mann”) reteams Moland with Stellan Skarsgård who stars as the titular character except he’s not exactly “gentle” (at least his actions aren’t). Here’s what the official synopsis has to say:

Ulrik is a somewhat gentle man. He has no special wishes and makes no demands. He has killed some people and crippled a few. But this sort of stuff is part of the job when working in the criminal world.