Headhunters (2011) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A deceptive art thief is hunted by a technologically skilled adversary and survives by turning a chain of murders into a convenient false narrative.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

The Headhunter's Double Life

Roger presents himself as a successful headhunter while secretly stealing paintings to maintain his lifestyle. His affair with Lotte ends as he is introduced to Clas and a potentially valuable target.

Key Events

• Headhunter And Art Thief — Roger funds his luxurious lifestyle through art theft alongside his partner. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Oslo
• Roger Ends The Affair — Roger breaks up with Lotte, ending their affair. Characters: Roger Brown, Lotte Location: Private residence
• Clas Enters The Recruitment — Roger meets Clas through a recruitment opportunity connected to Pathfinder. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Art gallery
• The Lost Rubens — Roger learns that Clas owns a lost Rubens painting worth millions. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Clas's residence
• The Painting Swap — Roger replaces the Rubens with a counterfeit painting. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Clas's bedroom

The Painting And The Pursuit

Roger steals the Rubens painting and suspects a betrayal after finding a phone beside Clas's bed. He sabotages Clas's recruitment prospects, then becomes entangled in a violent escape after his partner appears to die.

Key Events

• A Phone Beside The Bed — Roger finds a cell phone beside Clas's bed and suspects an affair. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Clas's bedroom
• Clas Loses The Position — After a successful interview, Roger tells Clas that another candidate was chosen. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Recruitment meeting
• The Poisoned Car — Roger finds his partner apparently dead from a poisoned syringe. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Roger's car
• Cabin Shootout — A struggle and shootout at the cabin ends with Roger accidentally killing his partner. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Remote cabin
• Escape To The Farm — Roger steals a car and spare uniform before fleeing toward an old farm. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Road to an old farm

A Fugitive Without An Identity

Clas pursues Roger to the farm, while Roger struggles to escape through rural terrain and a tractor chase. Hospitalization and a mistaken arrest reveal that Roger's identity has become dangerously confused with that of his dead partner.

Key Events

• Clas Reaches The Farm — Clas follows Roger to the farm and kills the farmer. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Old farm
• The Dog Attack — Roger evades Clas and kills Clas's attacking dog. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Farm grounds
• Tractor Escape — Roger escapes on a tractor but falls while panicking over a pursuing vehicle. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Farm road
• Arrest At The Hospital — Roger wakes in hospital and is arrested after being mistaken for his dead partner. Characters: Roger Brown, Brede Sperre Location: Hospital
• Truck Collision — Clas drives a stolen truck into the police car, sending it over a cliff. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Roadside checkpoint
• Roger Fakes His Death — Roger shaves his head, hides the hair, and uses a disfigured body to fake his death. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Crash site

The Last Betrayals

Roger discovers that Lotte works for Clas and kills her in self-defense. He confesses at home, retrieves the remaining tracking evidence, and prepares for Clas's final confrontation.

Key Events

• Roger Fakes His Death — Roger shaves his head, hides the hair, and uses a disfigured body to fake his death. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Crash site
• Lotte's Final Betrayal — Roger asks Lotte for help, but she attacks him after revealing her connection to Clas. Characters: Roger Brown, Lotte Location: Lotte's residence
• Roger Confesses At Home — Roger returns home and admits everything about the thefts and killings. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Roger's home
• Clas Tracks The Hair — Clas tracks the gel in Roger's cut hair and confronts him at the cabin. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Remote cabin

A Convenient Fiction

Roger kills Clas and uses security footage and planted evidence to frame the dead men for the surrounding murders. The police accept the convenient explanation, allowing Roger to sell his house and return to work.

Key Events

• The Final Gunfight — Clas fails to shoot Roger, and Roger fatally wounds Clas with a gun loaded with blanks. Characters: Roger Brown, Clas Greve Location: Remote cabin
• The False Crime Story — Evidence makes the police believe the dead men killed the farmer and Lotte before killing each other. Characters: Roger Brown, Brede Sperre, Clas Greve Location: Police investigation
• A New Professional Life — Roger sells his house, returns to work, and gives the Pathfinder position to a previously rejected applicant. Characters: Roger Brown Location: Pathfinder office

Story Breakdown

• Roger's Hidden Life — Roger balances a prestigious recruitment career with art theft and an unsustainable lifestyle.
  • Lavish Public Image — Roger is introduced as Norway's most successful headhunter.
  • Private Art Theft — He finances his lifestyle by stealing paintings with his partner.
• The Valuable Candidate — Clas enters Roger's professional world carrying both a rare painting and specialized tracking expertise.
  • Lost Rubens Painting — Clas possesses a Rubens painting believed to be worth millions.
  • Recruitment Opportunity — Roger considers Clas for a senior position connected to Pathfinder.
• Betrayal And Sabotage — Roger's theft and suspicions transform a professional meeting into a personal and strategic conflict.
  • Counterfeit Exchange — Roger swaps the valuable painting for a counterfeit.
  • Rejected Candidate — Roger retaliates by telling Clas that the position has gone to someone else.
• The Pursuit Begins — A poisoning, accidental killing, and rural chase leave Roger fighting to escape Clas and the police.
  • Cabin Shootout — Roger accidentally kills his partner during a confrontation at the cabin.
  • Farm And Tractor — Clas reaches the farm, and Roger escapes through a dangerous tractor pursuit.
• Identity In Ruins — Roger's identity collapses as the police mistake him for his dead partner and Clas tracks him through GPS gel.
  • Mistaken Arrest — Roger is arrested after being linked to the farmer's murder.
  • Faked Death — He shaves his head and uses a disfigured body to stage his own death.
• The Final Cover Story — Roger eliminates the remaining threats and constructs an explanation that the police find convenient.
  • Lotte's Attack — Lotte attacks Roger after revealing her cooperation with Clas, and Roger kills her in self-defense.
  • Cabin Confrontation — Roger fatally wounds Clas after Diana has loaded Clas's gun with blanks.
  • Police Accept The Frame — Planted evidence and security footage make the police blame the dead men for the murders.
  • Return To Work — Roger sells the house and resumes his professional career.

Directed by

Morten Tyldum

Key Cast

• Aksel Hennie — Roger Brown
• Synnøve Macody Lund — Diana Brown
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — Clas Greve
• Julie R. Ølgaard — Lotte
• Kyrre Haugen Sydness — Lander