HEAD COUNT (2023) - Mark Reviews Movies

Head Count, Shout! Studios

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Review by Mark Dujsik | September 28, 2023

A man regains consciousness in a nondescript room, hears a couple of muffled voices, and, upon reacting in a completely normal way to this predicament, is struck in the head with the butt of a pistol. That's the start of Head Count, a brief but cleverly plotted and energetically stylized comedic thriller. The ultimate point here is to figure out how and why Kat (Aaron Jakubenko) ends up this place with these people who want to kill him, but the weaving, winding, and backtracking ride of discovering that mystery is quite a bit of fun.

The plot of the film, co-written and directed by brothers Ben and Jacob Burghart, really begins with Kat escaping from prison a couple days prior to the abduction where the narrative proper starts. Our protagonist is part of a chain gang, doing some work with other prisoners somewhere in rural Kansas, and it almost feels unfair to even hint at how Kat winds up separated from said chain, in the driver's seat of a police cruiser, and racing toward an uncertain future. The screenplay, penned by the Burgharts and Josh Doke, is filled with surprises—events so unlikely and seemingly preposterous that it's kind of a shock the story and characters feel so grounded.

Even so, the—let's call them—natural means by which Kat ends up a fugitive give us a quick sense that the filmmakers are willing and able to surprise with a few outrageous touches and to shatter expectations—especially the ones they establish, knowing that we're likely trying to stay a step or two ahead of whatever might come next. Well, it's technically whatever came before, but who cares about such technicalities.

The main gimmick has one of the captors pointing the pistol at Kat's head and pulling the trigger to a repeated empty-chamber click. A series of flashbacks show how—and how many times, which is vital under the circumstances—the gun, which Kat comes by completely by chance, had been fired before it arrived at this point. A handy on-screen counter ticks down the bullets as they're discharged, either in the pistol or by other means, or lost. The trick is so simple that it's a minor delight, as well as an added level of suspense, when the filmmakers reveal that counter goes the other way, too.

The film is more than that gimmick, though. It's also more than cause-and-effect plotting, involving a vengeful Sheriff's deputy, a house that has changed owners since Kat went to prison, a distracted arms dealer, frowned-upon tricks to winning blackjack, and more, as Kat makes his way to reconnecting with brother Sawyer (Ryan Kwanten) and ex-girlfriend Jo (Melanie Zanetti). A melancholy touch of what could have been, save for the messes Kat gets himself into, gives the story a bit more weight.

Mostly, though, Head Count relies on the element of surprise. The filmmakers have enough tricks up their sleeves to make that a constant here.

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