After being knocked out by a mysterious thug, Kat comes to and finds a gun pointed to his head. It’s his gun. But is there a bullet left? Why not pull the trigger and see what happens? Suddenly, Kat is forced to recall what happened to every bullet in the gun, hoping that none are left.
That premise fuels the new neo-Western ride Head Count from the Burghart brothers, Ben and Jacob. The sibling filmmaking duo go by way of the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, reportedly one of their biggest inspirations, to deliver an enjoyable if not jam-packed outing that they’ve described as “Memento meets Blood Simple.” Or vice versa. Because there’s a lot of groovy thematic interchanges and flashbacks offered here in a tale about an escaped convict on the run.
Aaron Jakubenko (Tidelands) headlines the film alongside Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and Melanie Zanetti (Bluey). If you’re a fan of twisty and offbeat films like Raising Arizona and Fargo or even Girl on a Train, this film is for you. But general audiences will undoubtedly appreciate the smarts of the Burghart brothers, who’ve offered a surprisingly robust and fiery outing that definitely holds your interest.
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
Head Count spins as quickly as a pistol chamber held by an angry guy ready to shoot. Through flashback, the audience learns how Kat arrived on his knees before a man who wants him dead — we only see the fella from his shoes and legs. Whisked back into Kat’s past, we find him working the chain gang at night, digging holes somewhere in Kansas while two prison officers watch on. You’ll have to suspend your belief on that one because… really? When have prisoners worked outside at night? Makes things more fun, so let’s go with it. Things head south very quickly and Kat suddenly finds a path to escape. Sawyer (Ryan Kwanten), a daft but gun-toting officer shoots away, but to no avail.
Now a fugitive, Kat finds some solace from his brother, but he can’t keep running. Or can he? The film gimmick works here as we wander deeper into Kat’s misadventure. The filmmakers leap back to the present, where Kat attempts to come to terms with the person who wants him dead, then we quickly flash back yet again to see what happened to the other bullet. Six, five, four… and so on as the numbers appear before our eyes and another vignette materializes.
Related: Exclusive: Head Count Filmmakers Jacob and Ben Burghart on Their Neo-Western Thrill Ride
The Burgharts penned this tale with screenwriter Josh Doke. The trio do a great job of surprising the audience and giving enough to frenetic, action-packed scenes to chew on for those who get a rise out of this type of film. Flashbacks within flashbacks arrive, and we discover how Kat got into prison. Big surprise with that one, so hang on.
There’s a nice interlude with Kat and Jo (Melanie Zanetti), the woman he loves. Nothing like a Christmas scene to evoke heartfelt emotion between two characters. Naturally, Kat finds Jo back in the present, but that encounter sets off a series of circumstances that out Kat further into danger, especially when officer Sawyer pops up and wants to take the escaped convict for a ride — and not to the police station.
Grounded Performances in a Captivating Story
Shout! Studios
For a film with this much gusto, it would have been easy for the filmmakers to have these characters play things way over the top. However, one of the best things about Head Count is how grounded these performances are, even with characters who are unleashed. Aaron Jakubenko proves himself to be a reliable leading man. It would be nice to see this actor helm his own series or be among the top cast in other endeavors moving forward. Jakubenko makes Kat likable. Flawed, sure, but you root for this guy. The actor is a dynamic physical force, too, capable of leaping, falling, punching, and all that. Believable all around.
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What great fun it is to see Ryan Kwanten here. The True Blood and Section 8 actor slips into a role similar to his Jason Stackhouse character on that HBO series. Still, he fuels Sawyer with just enough smarmy alpha male spunk to make you realize you’ve seen this kind of guy around. One of the film’s highlights is an extended sequence that finds Kat and Sawyer off on their own adventure. It’s enjoyable to watch that all unfold and sends the rest of the film into new territory — Kat still must recall what happened to each bullet in the gun, after all.
Melanie Zanetti isn’t given much to do here, however when we do experience her, it’s a delight, and it would have been interesting to explore more of her relationship with Kat. That’s partly due to the film’s zippy feel. Things move fast. The concept for the movie came from a 48-hour film festival that the Burghart brothers created a short for in little time. They expanded that idea here and by all accounts, Head Count is an impressive expansion of that short from two talented filmmakers.
The big reveal of the mysterious gunman may divide audiences. Either way, it’s enjoyable to see it all play out with a big shocker of an ending. Bold, fun, often thrilling, it’s a good thing to place Head Count into your Fall movie queue.
Head Count opened in theaters and VOD on September 29.
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