A hotheaded renegade cop gets in too deep when he goes undercover to bring down a massive drug ring in this exemplary take on the classic anti-hero police thriller.

The kind of auspicious debut that often quickly lands a director a Hollywood deal, Uro is also a throwback to the kind of dark U.S. police films of the '70s with heroes who weren't much different from the villains. HP is a tough-as-nails cop determined to do his job by whatever means necessary. When he starts trailing a small-time dealer at a club where a sexy former schoolmate tends bar, he begins to suspect that he's stumbled onto something much bigger involving the woman's father. Complications mount when he becomes romantically involved with her and starts to deal drugs himself in order to be led to the top of the organization's food chain. Not only is he on the outs with his superiors for flouting regulations, but it seems that his targets also hold some painful revelations into his past. A narrative that could have easily become another trite and insipid cop drama instead sizzles with intrigue thanks to impressively taut pacing, terrific performances and gritty, grainy photography that captures a little-seen urban side of Norway in washed-out shades of blue. One of the best examples of pure genre bliss in this year's festival, Uro is a must for any fan of policiers.