Character Relationship Map: Empty Barrels

Characters

• Ali (played by Leon Bashir) — protagonist

  Ambitious leader of a small-time criminal trio, constantly devising schemes that backfire comically.

• Bobby (played by Farrakh Abbas) — supporting

  Loyal accomplice and comic relief, often follows Ali's lead with enthusiastic but clumsy execution.

• Nico (played by Anders Danielsen Lie) — supporting

  Quick-witted crew member who handles planning and provides sharp comedic timing.

• Finish (played by Kristoffer Joner) — supporting

  Street-smart associate who navigates local networks to support the group's schemes.

• Susie (played by Yasmine Garbi) — supporting

  Local resident caught in the criminals' schemes, adds emotional depth.

• Fido (played by Kyrre Hellum) — supporting

  Loyal sidekick with a knack for getting into trouble, provides comic moments.

• Tommy (played by Vegar Hoel) — supporting

  Minor accomplice and local contact, adds to the ensemble's chaotic energy.

• Arve (played by Bjørn Sundquist) — supporting

  Street-level contact who helps or hinders the group depending on the situation.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Tommy → Arve (Professional Business Partner) — Arve becomes the commercial contact for Tommy's planned liquor business.

  Tommy and his associates travel to Oslo, where Arve takes charge of the liquor operation and offers to buy everything they produce.

• Fido → Bobby (Professional Job Coordinator) — Fido recruits Bobby for the falcon operation.

  Fido arranges the villa job for Bobby after his injured arm prevents him from retrieving the bird himself.

• Fido → Nico (Professional Job Coordinator) — Fido coordinates Nico's participation in the burglary.

  Fido arranges work for Nico as part of the villa break-in and offers the crew an advance payment.

• Ali → Fido (Professional Criminal Contractor) — Fido redirects the falcon assignment to Ali's crew.

  Fido is ordered to obtain the falcon, but his injured arm leads him to arrange the job for Ali, Nico, and Bobby.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Bobby → Finish (Social Network Associate) — Bobby is connected to Finish through the group's shared schemes.

  Finish is described as part of the circle that includes Bobby, and his unexplained whereabouts become a concern for the group.

• Nico → Finish (Social Network Associate) — Nico and Finish belong to the same loose criminal circle.

  Finish is part of the same circle as Nico, while the group's concern about Finish's whereabouts affects their criminal plans.

• Ali → Tommy (Alliance Criminal Associate) — They operate within the same broader criminal network, although their ventures remain divided.

  Ali's group and Tommy's associates are both involved in the criminal activity surrounding the falcon, liquor production, and suit sales.

• Ali → Susie (Conflict Adversary) — Their dispute combines criminal pressure, financial loss, and personal grievance.

  Ali confronts Susie over a delayed shipment, lost money, and serious harm inflicted on someone from Ali's family.

• Ali → Finish (Social Associate) — Finish is a connected associate within Ali's criminal network.

  Finish is described as part of Ali's circle, and his whereabouts become a recurring concern for the group.

• Nico → Bobby (Alliance Teammate) — They work together as members of the same robbery crew.

  Nico and Bobby are both part of Ali's group and participate in the attempt to retrieve the falcon.

• Ali → Bobby (Alliance Teammate) — Bobby follows Ali's schemes as a loyal accomplice.

  Ali reconnects with Bobby and later assigns him a role in the villa burglary.

• Ali → Nico (Alliance Teammate) — Nico is one of Ali's core criminal partners.

  After leaving prison, Ali reconnects with Nico and includes him in the planned falcon operation.

Story Analysis

A small criminal crew pursues money and status through schemes that repeatedly collapse into violence, failed deals, and unresolved debts.

Plot Progression

1. A Falcon Worth Millions — The film opens with the sale of a rare gyrfalcon and introduces Ali's criminal identity. After prison, Ali reunites with Nico and Bobby and decides to pursue a larger score.
2. The Dangerous Assignment — Ali proposes stealing a stuffed falcon connected to Oslo's criminal network. A shipment dispute with Susie adds financial and personal pressure while Fido redirects the job to Ali's crew.
3. A Robbery Unravels — Ali, Nico, and Bobby attempt the villa break-in, but the falcon is missing. Violence and confusion spread, and Fido dies as the criminal operation collapses.
4. A New Criminal Venture — Tommy and his associates explore liquor production in Oslo. Arve offers to buy their output, creating a possible source of weekly income despite the failed falcon operation.
5. Unpaid Consequences — The group remains without the falcon and tries to sell suits for cash. The negotiations fail, leaving the criminal debts and consequences unresolved.