In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 26, 2024

Hans Petter Moland's "In Order of Disappearance" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include programs with Stellan Skarsgard and Hans Petter Moland as well as theatrical trailer. In Norwegian or English, with optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

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Norwegian director Hans Petter Molan and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard have made several films together, and all of them are good. However, In Order of Disappearance is in a category of its own. It is the kind of genre film that comes once in a decade, maybe even two, and instantly acquires a cult status. For all the right reasons, too.

In the tiny frozen town of Tyos, Nils Dickman (Skarsgard) has become Citizen of the Year. It is a big award that means a lot to the local community, but Nils could not care less about it and is visibly upset that he must give a speech when it is presented to him. He operates a winter service monster of a truck that keeps the roads in proper condition, which is just a job. If he does not do it, someone else will, and with the same truck, he would be just as effective. But this is not how the town’s residents feel about Nils and his consistently excellent performance, so they have voted to honor his professionalism.

Shortly after the ceremony, however, Nils receives a phone call that instantly turns his world upside down and then forces him to point a rifle at his face. He changes his mind when a young man with a bloodied jacket who has been hiding in his garage reveals to him that his son did not overdose on drugs, but was killed while accompanying him during a delivery job he knew nothing about. Stunned by the young man’s confession and barely able to contain his anger, Nils then begins tracking down and eliminating various shady characters who control the local drug business and are indirectly and directly responsible for his son’s premature death.

But Nils’ efficiency quickly disturbs the drug market and convinces its two biggest players, The Count (Pal Sverre Hagen) and Papa Popovich (Bruno Ganz), that the other is attempting a restructuring to optimize profits and force the competition out.

Completed by Moland a decade ago, In Order of Disappearance is a violent neo-noirish thriller with a wicked sense of humor that makes it impossible not to group with cult films like Blood Simple and Romeo Is Bleeding. However, this is quite strange because In Order of Disappearance does not miss an opportunity to emphasize everything that makes it a Scandinavian film, which is plenty. As a result, while its neo-noirish qualities are never overshadowed, it is the constant, unpredictable overlapping of diverse material and contrasting themes from it that transforms it into a wild ride, rather than the tense revenge game that the heartbroken father initiates.

The overlapping of the diverse material and contrasting themes from it is fueled by a not-so-subtle clash of cultures. Nils, The Count, and several other characters are supposed to represent the local Scandinavian team, but there are Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes in it who see and rationalize the emerging dilemmas in very different ways. Papa Popovich, his sons and relatives, and a few associates are part of a Serbian team that has permanently relocated to the area. A couple of cops observe the forced turf war and comment on how it is permanently changing the community, and then slowly begin to realize that it is reflective of a much bigger change that has made their country different without them noticing. So, while Nils is on the warpath and the gang war is on, Moland produces a very fine commentary on the sad evolution of his homeland as well. (In a video interview included on this release, Moland clarifies that Norway’s transformation into a dangerous state began during the Serbo-Croatian war in the 1990s when foreign entities relocated there, flooded the country with drugs, and then used the profits to subsidize military operations on the Balkans).

Skarsgard gives one of his very best performances, but several other actors look terrific before the camera as well. What is most impressive is that their personalities and styles could not be any more different, and yet the chemistry they maintain is superb.

In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, In Order of Disappearance arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment.

On my system, the film looked wonderful. Delineation, clarity, and depth were always either very good or excellent. I felt that in a couple of areas perhaps the gamma levels could have been managed a bit better, but this film was shot with the Arri Alexa camera, so it is very difficult to know exactly how indoor and darker nighttime footage was captured by it. Colors are natural and stable, as they should be, given the nature of the production. Image stability is outstanding. While viewing the film, I did not encounter any anomalies to report. All in all, I could not be happier with how the film looks on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Norwegian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the entire film with the original Norwegian track. Clarity, sharpness, and stability are spectacular. Also, there is a lot of action footage where dynamic intensity and separation are of what I consider to be 'reference level'. I assume that the 5.1 track replicates an entirely digital soundtrack, so its strength should not be surprising. The English translation is outstanding.

In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Stellan Skarsgard - in this program, Stellan Skarsgard reveals that he was reluctant to reunite with Hans Petter Moland on In Order of Disappearance and reveals why he changed his mind about the film. Also, Skarsgard discusses in great detail his friendship and working relationship with Moland and recalls what it was like to shoot In Order of Disappearance in a brutally cold weather. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Interview with Director Hans Petter Moland - in this program, Hans Petter Moland recalls how the idea for In Order of Disappearance came to him and discusses its main protagonist, the drama that is depicted in it and how it is reflective of reality in Norway, Stellan Skarsgard's performance, etc. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original U.S. trailer for In Order of Disappearance. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

In Order of Disappearance Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of Stellan Skarsgard's very best performances is in In Order of Disappearance, which is a multi-layered crime thriller that is easy to compare to Blood Simple and Romeo Is Bleeding but is in a category of its own. If you do not yet have it in your library and have been wanting to see a genuinely different film, pick up Magnolia Home Entertainment's release. It is attractively priced and the label's presentation of the film is excellent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.