Jackpot

The success of Headhunters suggested an inevitability to Jo Nesbø’s canon being mined for more dark tales to turn into modestly budgeted, easy to export film adaptations, and so up steps Jackpot, a by-the-numbers black comedy of cross and double cross that, however familiar, isn’t without its charms. Kyrre Hellum, in a superbly bemused turn, plays Oscar, a factory worker involved in a pools syndicate with some less than reputable colleagues. When their wager pays dividends, all hell, and a fair bit of gore, breaks loose as loyalties are tested.

The action fizzes while the cast remain heroically deadpan to provide consistent giggles, but director Magnus Martens has difficulty transforming a convoluted plot into a coherent, rewarding whole; the fractured narrative structure of before and after an introductory strip club shootout is a tricksy device indicative of a director stumbling from one twist or betrayal to the next, with little in between. An amusing, confusing wee film, it’ll fall out your head just as quick as it gets there. [Chris Fyvie]