Automatische concepten

English summary

Nils leads a quiet life as a snow-clearer in the Norwegian mountains. With enormous machines he keeps the roads passable and is rewarded with the title ‘resident of the year’. A little while later he hears that his son has died of an overdose, but he knows his son never used drugs. When it becomes clear that his son has been the victim of a drug war between the Norwegian and Serbian mafia, Nils wants revenge. This all sounds serious but in fact In Order of Disappearance is mainly a delightful, black comedy.

The world in which the story takes place is populated with gangsters with crazy names like The Chinaman, Wingman and Strike. Nils meets them all, on his way to finding the ruthless mafia boss The Count (Pål Sverre Hagen). Hagen steals the show as a vegan, veggie-juice-drinking dad who is constantly arguing with his ex-wife. He plays a caricature of a mafia boss, which is really fun to watch. Also on form is Bruno Ganz as a husky-voiced Serbian gangster. This Norwegian version of the Coen brothers’ now classic film Fargo doesn’t take itself seriously and that’s why it is so funny.