After seeing him in the magnificent The Hunt (2012-also reviewed),I rushed to pick up a Nordic Noir starring Mads Mikkelsen and True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard,which somehow kept ending up at the bottom of my DVD "must watch" pile. Taking part in ICM's Nordic cinema viewing challenge,I felt it was time to finally head for the exit.

View on the film:

Looking super fresh faced, Alexander Skarsgard's gives a terrific turn as Klerking, thanks to Skarsgard giving Klerking a youthful, trusting innocence, which unknown to Klerking makes him stand at odds in this cut-throat Nordic Noir business world (a major recurring theme of the genre.)

Speaking directly to the viewer in the opening that you can't hold any ethics if you want to become rich in the business world, Mads Mikkelsen gives a terrifically layered turn as Skepphult, who Mikkelsen brings out a frantic awkwardness in Skepphult kicking back at those framing him of murder,whilst retaining a wry Noir cynicism, which becomes fully reflective in the twist ending.

Based on a novel by Jesper Karrbrink and Hakan Ramsin which has sadly not been translated into English, the screenplay by writer/director Peter Lindmark takes the slick innocent man on the run Thriller genre, and exits it through the Nordic Noir door,as Skepphult attempts to find out who is framing him, by offering to pay off those working with the killer, so that they work with him instead!

At first exiting Skepphult on the run with what appears to be a upbeat ending, Lindmark takes a step back, deliriously bringing Skepphult back full circle to his cynical, calculating businessman, who has no desire to exit that world.