Head Count Review: Jakubenko Shines in Burgharts’ Stylish Debut

Bursting from a clever concept and propelled by a charismatic lead performance, Head Count is a stylish, off-kilter thriller about an escaped convict caught in a spiral of escalating misfortune. Directed by brothers Ben and Jacob Burghart in their feature debut, this nimble genre-bender stars Australian actor Aaron Jakubenko as Kat, a quick-witted prisoner who seizes an opportunity when a bizarre incident throws his Kansas chain gang into chaos.

Now on the lam and desperate to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Jo and estranged brother, the plucky fugitive scrambles to stay one step ahead of a vengeful sheriff’s deputy – but a series of escalating mishaps only pull him deeper into trouble’s inescapable clutches.

Threading curses, coincidences and contraband firearms into its central gimmick – a bullet-by-bullet countdown teased from the film’s darker-than-dark opening scene – the Burgharts’ scrappy feature debut displays real panache, blending taut Coenesque suspense and sunny screwball misadventures as its luckless antihero ricochets through the film’s clever temporal structure. Anchored by Jakubenko’s kinetic charisma amid the escalating chaos, Head Count is a stylish, surprising crime-fantasy romp.

A Fugitive’s Frantic Flight from Fate

Head Count hits the ground running when protagonist Kat seizes an opportunity for escape after a freak encounter with some ravenous cougars decimates his rural Kansas chain gang. Now a fugitive fleeing into the night, the quick-witted con man slips away in a police cruiser, speeding towards an uncertain future with some scores left to settle. Top priority is tracking down Kat’s former flame Jo, who’s moved on in the years since his incarceration; he also aims to mend fences with his estranged brother Hayes before skipping town for good.

But Kat’s homecoming tour is soon derailed by escalating run-ins with his own questionable judgment. Seeking refuge, he breaks into a relative’s house, only to find the home has changed hands since his conviction. Trapped under the marital bed mid-tryst, a mortifying interlude ensues before a graceful escape. But trouble accelerates as the bungling backwoods deputy Sawyer – the same lawman flummoxed by the jailbreak – catches Kat’s trail, seeking vengeance with mayhem on his mind.

Through the zig-zagging misadventures, the directors tease mystery via snippets of the film’s opening scene – where a bruised Kat kneels at gunpoint, his own revolver to his head. Hazy circumstances hint this weapon’s checkered history could dictate life or death, and indeed, the film hinges on tracking each fired bullet via temporal leaps back and forth. This clever countdown ratchets suspense while revealing pivotal backstory beats, bringing context to the armed stranger with Kat’s fate in hand. Before long, the fugitive’s bid for closure and escape has locked him in a chaotic scramble just to survive the next bullet.

A Charismatic Anchor Embodies the Chaos

As the luckless fugitive Kat, Australian actor Aaron Jakubenko provides a compelling anchor amid Head Count’s escalating chaos. Imbuing his outlaw antihero with a sympathetic scrappy charm, Jakubenko brings a grounded charisma to anchor the film’s zany twists. His natural affability makes Kat quickly endearing despite his criminal bent and questionable judgment – cementing Kat as an underdog we can’t help but root for.

Equally adept with soured reconnections, frenzied chase scenes or comical mishaps, Jakubenko handles the script’s tonal shifts with ease. Whether trading barbs with his disillusioned brother, rekindling the flame with Jo or scrambling to evade capture in a series of escalating bumbles, the actor brings a likable balance of intelligence, emotion and physicality. This well-rounded performance prevents Kat from becoming a mere punchline, even as calamity escalates into near slapstick.

Bolstered by Jakubenko’s nuanced turn, Kat emerges as a compelling, complicating center to the Coenesque chaos swirling around him. The directors hang much of their stylish crime romp on the actor’s capable shoulders, and he carries the unpredictable thriller with charismatic aplomb. Ranging from confident to desperate yet always quick-witted, Jakubenko’s standout performance is crucial to ensuring this luckless fugitive earns both our laughs and our empathy along his calamitous path.

Visual Panache Propels a Clever Concept

In their feature debut, director brothers Ben and Jacob Burghart display a sharp visual panache that elevates Head Count’s clever concept into an inventive, style-soaked thriller. Establishing a strong sense of place in the dusty Kansas setting, the directors leverage the rural landscape into an unlikely backdrop for zany misadventures with a neo-Western flair. As Kat’s luck goes from bad to absurd, the Burgharts manage the escalating mayhem with careful command of tone, balancing dark comedy with suspenseful action.

This adept tonal tightrope act is strengthened through crafty editing and camerawork. Match cuts cleverly rhyme images and actions, while shots are framed to maximum effect within the brothers’ inventive chronology. Energetic without becoming chaotic, the directing duo provide visual throughlines – a handgun’s telling close-up, an on-screen counter tracking discharged bullets – threading cohesion through the temporal jumps.

Yet the most crucial choice may be the simplicity of their central gimmick: by tracking the fate of Kat’s revolver, the countdown heightens suspense while anchoring the audience amid the choppy timeline. Deftly modulating this device, the directors turn the premise into gripping visual punctuation. Each tick of the on-screen bullet counter clicks anticipation higher, until the climactic Russian roulette showdown sees this clever concept yield potent payoff. Backed by confident direction and stylish editing, Head Count ultimately fires on all cylinders, transcending its single-gimmick hook into an overall standout thriller debut.

Supporting Turns Struggle in the Shadows

While Aaron Jakubenko compellingly anchors Head Count as leading man Kat, the supporting players often struggle for distinction around his brightly shining lead. As the bumbling deputy fixated on Kat’s capture, Ryan Kwanten leans into the goofy backwoods archetype – though hints of depth emerge when his motives are questioned. His subplot with Kat takes some surprising turns, even if the character remains one-note.

As Kat’s ex-lover Jo, Melanie Zanetti brings genuineness to the emotional reunion – imbuing warmth and regret into her limited screentime. Yet like other supporting players, she’s more sounding board than fully-realized character. Meanwhile, the directors pack quirky bit parts around the leads – notably an arms dealing Santa Claus whose twisted season’s greetings capture the film’s balancing act between gritty and absurd.

While these tertiary characters bring color, the supporting cast can’t escape Jakubenko’s long shadow. Besides flashing promising chemistry with leads when permitted, the Burgharts leave much of the ensemble thinly sketched. As Kat’s chaotic journey unfolds, the directors seem focused squarely on propelling his escapades – relying on their magnetic star power to paper over the weaker links.

Smart Dialogue Anchors the Absurdist Action

The chaotic chain of events perpetually foiling Kat make for an often absurdist misadventure, but smart dialogue helps anchor the more outlandish plot turns in emotional truth. When the directors permit breathing room from the next bumble, conversations between Kat, Jo and Hayes simmer with a melancholic mix of guarded optimism and regret over lost time – the years passed and paths not taken.

Yet when circumstances crescendo into calamity, the characters’ exchanges capture that spiraling feeling of helplessness. “I can’t catch a break!” Kat vents while scrambling for solutions, his charging speech energized by frustration. Even Sawyer’s dodgy motives are rooted in dialogue hinting at a former mentor’s manipulation of his gullible deputy.

Through these moments, the characters avoid becoming mere punchlines, instead remaining grounded despite the increasingly outlandish scenario enveloping them. Even with housewives and hitmen colliding in comical cat-and-mouse chaos, the scripting cuts closer to emotional cores before the next shocking swerve. Threading this humor and heart throughout, the directors ultimately strike an off-kilter tonal target that mixes loaded exchanges with absurdist action in a satisfying balance.

A Promising Debut Despite Rough Edges

Bolstered by a magnetic lead performance and sprinkled with visual flair, Head Count ultimately delivers a satisfying thriller ride despite some messy edges in the Burgharts’ debut. The directing duo clearly relish opportunities to surprise audiences and subvert expectations – both within individual scenes and the storyline’s overall trajectory. While not every twist lands tidily, the general aim remains admirable as they inject unpredictable story beats between nozzle-tight action.

Anchoring it all is Aaron Jakubenko’s outstanding turn as Kat – his soulful charisma and kinetic physicality immensely boosting the directors’ odds through the ramshackle back half when logical lapses become more glaring. Though still rough around the edges, the Burgharts’ inventive genre cocktail suggests no shortage of directorial potential once their moxie becomes more disciplined.

Fusing several favored flavors like crime sagas, pitch-black comedy and styled neo-Westerns into their own creative whole, Head Count leaves plenty to admire even as the occasional seam bursts. For fans of films that similarly celebrate inspired characters powering through preposterous scenarios, this auspicious debut likely hits the mark.

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