Pioneer, film review: Plot is so convoluted that it makes The Big Sleep look straightforward

(15) Erik Skjoldbjærg, 106 mins Starring: Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang, Aksel Hennie

Wes Bentley and André Eriksen square off in 'Pioneer'

This murky Scandinavian conspiracy thriller about deep-sea divers during the Norwegian oil boom of the 1980s suffers from a plot so convoluted that it makes The Big Sleep look straightforward.

The diving scenes are impressively handled. Erik Skjoldbjærg goes to great lengths to convey the claustrophobia involved in venturing 300 metres below the surface.

The problem, as the hero Petter (Aksel Hennie) tries to work out what caused his brother's death, is that the Norwegian director takes us too far from the sea, serving up red herrings as he goes.