by Shilpa Saravanan, editor-in-chief

In “Headhunters,” a 2008 novel by Norwegian noir writer Jo Nesbø, corporate headhunter Roger Brown meets his match in a real, deadly headhunter: chaos ensues in the form of car chases, shootouts and more plot twists than are probably strictly necessary in a book of this size. “Headhunters” is pretty self-aware of its absurdity (as far as thrillers go) and an entertainingly quick read, but it begs to be taken to the big screen.

Luckily for the ingenious premise of “Headhunters,” the novel, that’s exactly what happened. “Headhunters,” the 2011 film, keeps only the good parts of its source material. The wonderfully topsy-turvy plot takes center stage, and the novel’s awkward first-person narration disappears almost entirely. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (of “Game of Thrones” fame) is alternately charming and terrifying as the film’s villain, and Aksel Hennie is (appropriately) both charmed and terrified as Roger Brown. Especially in the case of Hennie’s protagonist, “Headhunters” offers up more character background and development than do most thrillers. But true to its genre, this film doesn’t skimp on the blood and guts at all. The violence, though, is (usually) not meaningless, and it’s often paired with healthy doses of warped wit.

For those who can appreciate it, “Headhunters” is a great comedy. It’s simultaneously frightening, fascinating and funny — and even for those who aren’t so into gallows humor, the former two qualities make it an enjoyable action flick nonetheless.

Watch “Headhunters” on Netflix, or check out a copy of the novel from your local library.

Photo from Magnet Releasing.