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Plot Summary

In Order of Disappearance (2016) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 116 min · Norwegian
JustWatch #8,602 23
Directed by
Hans Petter Moland
Starring
Jakob Oftebro, Bruno Ganz

Following the death of his son, a withdrawn snowplow driver named Nils begins to suspect foul play and investigates the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. His search leads him to uncover a dangerous connection between a powerful crime boss known as "The Count" and Serbian mobsters. Driven by grief and a desire for answers, Nils embarks on a path of vengeance, using his skills and machinery to confront those responsible, unintentionally sparking a violent and chaotic gang war with devastating consequences.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like In Order of Disappearance
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch In Order of Disappearance (2016)

Where can you watch In Order of Disappearance? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on fuboTV, Philo and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in In Order of Disappearance: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of In Order of Disappearance (2016) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Nils Dickman is a snow plow driver in the quaint town of Tyos, Norway, celebrated as the Citizen of the Year. However, his world is turned upside down following the tragic death of his son, Ingvar, who is discovered dead from a heroin overdose. Despite the police's neglect of the situation, Nils is convinced that his son was not involved in drugs. Just as he contemplates ending his own life, a glimmer of hope appears when Finn, Ingvar's friend, reveals a startling truth: Ingvar was mistakenly killed by a gang of drug dealers targeting Finn. This revelation sparks a fire within Nils, driving him to seek vengeance against those responsible for his son's death.

Nils tracks down Jappe, one of the murderers, and in a tense encounter, he manages to extract the name of another accomplice, Ronaldo, before killing him as well. Ronaldo leads Nils to the drug carrier, Strike, who meets the same fate. After eliminating Strike, Nils takes drastic measures by hiding the bodies of the three criminals and disposing of 15 kilos of cocaine. Determined to find the gang's leader, he turns to his brother Egil, a former criminal now living an honest life. Egil advises Nils to enlist the help of a hitman to take out the powerful crime boss, known as Greven (The Count), a notorious vegan gangster.

Nils hires Kineseren, the Danish-Japanese hitman, setting off a chain of events that spirals into chaos. Greven, enraged at the loss of his men and money, suspects that a rival Serbian mafia family is behind the attacks. In a ruthless display of power, he kidnaps a member of the rival gang to extract information. However, when this man remains tight-lipped, Greven has him killed, unaware that he has just murdered the son of Papa, the Serbian mafia's ruthless leader.

In a fateful twist, Kineseren demands payment from Greven, revealing that he was hired by a man named Dickman. Mistakenly believing this to be Egil, Greven confronts him for answers. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Egil sacrifices himself to protect Nils. Ultimately, a climactic gunfight erupts at Nils's workplace, leaving all but Nils and Papa dead. In a chilling alliance forged by loss, Nils and Papa drive away together, united in their quest for vengeance and the satisfaction of avenging their sons.

Last updated: November 15, 2024 at 18:48

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Plot questions answered

In Order of Disappearance Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about In Order of Disappearance (2016): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why was Nils's son killed?

Ingvar was mistakenly killed by drug dealers who were actually targeting Finn, Ingvar's friend. The dealers mistook Ingvar for Finn during a drug deal, leading to his death from a heroin overdose.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish Finn as Ingvar's friend who frequented the same circles, making the mistaken identity plausible.

  • ingvar
  • finn
  • drug dealers
  • mistaken identity
  • overdose
Q2

How did Nils trigger a gang war?

After Nils killed three of Greven's men and stole 15 kilos of cocaine, Greven assumed a rival Serbian mafia family was responsible. When Greven killed what he thought was a random gang member, he actually murdered Papa's son, sparking all-out war between the crime families.

Foreshadowing: Greven's paranoia and willingness to use extreme violence is established early when he interrogates and kills the kidnapped Serbian.

  • greven
  • papa
  • serbian mafia
  • gang war
  • cocaine
Q3

Why did Greven kill Papa's son?

Greven kidnapped a Serbian gangster to find out who was attacking his operations. When the man refused to talk, Greven executed him, not realizing he had just killed Papa's only son. This was purely accidental but triggered the final escalation.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Papa as a powerful Serbian mafia leader whose family is off-limits, making this kill especially consequential.

  • greven
  • papa
  • serbian mafia
  • son
  • kidnapping
Q4

Why did Egil sacrifice himself?

When Kineseren revealed he was hired by a man named Dickman, Greven assumed Egil was responsible. To protect Nils from Greven's vengeance, Egil allowed Greven to kill him rather than reveal his brother's identity.

Foreshadowing: Egil's earlier advice to hire a hitman and his knowledge of the criminal underworld sets up his understanding of the deadly consequences.

  • egil
  • greven
  • sacrifice
  • nils
  • hitman
Q5

Why does Nils team up with Papa at the end?

Both Nils and Papa lost their sons due to Greven's actions - Nils's son was killed by Greven's gang, and Papa's son was killed directly by Greven. United by grief and a shared desire for revenge against the same enemy, they form an alliance to finish what they started.

Foreshadowing: The parallel between Nils's loss and Papa's loss is drawn throughout the film, culminating in the final scene where both fathers are the sole survivors.

  • nils
  • papa
  • alliance
  • revenge
  • sons
Q6

What happened to the 15 kilos of cocaine?

After killing the drug carrier Strike, Nils disposed of the 15 kilos of cocaine. This act made Greven believe his operation was being deliberately targeted, contributing to his mistaken belief that the Serbian mafia was behind the attacks.

Foreshadowing: Strike's role as a drug carrier is established before Nils confronts him, making the cocaine seizure a logical plot point.

  • cocaine
  • strike
  • greven
  • drugs
Q7

Who was Kineseren?

Kineseren was a Danish-Japanese hitman hired by Nils to eliminate Greven. His intervention accidentally revealed Nils's involvement to Greven when he demanded payment, triggering the chain of events that led to Egil's sacrifice.

Foreshadowing: Egil's suggestion to hire a professional hitman sets up Kineseren's entry into the story.

  • kineseren
  • hitman
  • egil
  • hired killer
Q8

Why did Greven suspect the Serbian mafia?

Greven suspected the Serbian mafia because Nils had killed several of his men and stolen a large amount of cocaine. Since Greven had ongoing conflicts with the Serbian faction led by Papa, he assumed they were behind the coordinated attacks on his operation.

Foreshadowing: The rivalry between Greven's organization and the Serbian mafia is established through early references to their conflicts.

  • greven
  • serbian mafia
  • rival
  • suspicion

Movie threads

More Movies Like In Order of Disappearance, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes In Order of Disappearance tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Vigilante revenge movies that spark chaos like In Order of Disappearance

When a single act of revenge ignites a bloody and chaotic chain reaction. If you liked the snowballing gang war in In Order of Disappearance, explore these movies about vengeance spiraling out of control. These similar action thrillers feature lone protagonists whose personal quests for justice unintentionally ignite devastating and wide-reaching conflicts.

  • vengeful
  • chaotic
  • tense
  • grim
  • unrelenting
  • methodical
  • Tone: dark, bleak, tense
  • Pacing: steady build to chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a protagonist, often an ordinary person pushed to the edge by a personal tragedy, who takes matters into their own hands. Their targeted act of retaliation, however, misinterprets a complex situation or triggers a powerful response from a criminal organization, escalating into a full-blown war with catastrophic consequences for everyone involved.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared narrative engine: the theme of misunderstood revenge. They feature a steady, methodical pacing that builds to chaotic violence, a dark and bleak tone, and a heavy emotional weight centered on loss. The experience is defined by the tension between a personal mission and the uncontrollable chaos it unleashes.

Grim and gritty crime thrillers with a cold tone like In Order of Disappearance

Cold, methodical stories set against bleak landscapes where crime and grief collide. Fans of the cold, vengeful atmosphere of In Order of Disappearance will find more movies like it here. These similar thrillers share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and bleak endings, often set in stark landscapes that mirror the characters' internal desolation and the brutal reality of the criminal world.

  • grim
  • cold
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • brutal
  • unrelenting
  • Tone: dark, bleak, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread are typically straightforward or moderately complex, focusing on a descent into a criminal underworld driven by a personal motivator like loss or betrayal. The setting often acts as a character itself, reflecting the internal coldness and isolation of the protagonist. The journey is steady and tense, leading to conclusions that offer little catharsis, emphasizing the harsh and cyclical nature of violence.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their cohesive, oppressive vibe. They share a high-intensity, dark tone, steady pacing, and a heavy emotional core. The combination of a cold aesthetic, grim mood, and themes of criminal brutality and personal trauma creates a specific, immersive experience for viewers seeking uncompromisingly stark thrillers.

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Every angle

In Order of Disappearance (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about In Order of Disappearance in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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