The team took a little break in July to get themselves recharged and ready for the second half of the year (one that tends to always get very busy with Nordic content). That didn’t stop us from getting stuck into a number of series! Here is our Best in Screen and Page – July.
TV SERIES: Under The Radar-Secrets of a Swedish Serial Killer | Viaplay USA
MARY: With all of the police procedurals that occupy Scandinavian TV space, you’d think there would be hardly any time for reality. But it’s true crime that takes centre stage in the Viaplay series, Under the Radar, which premiered in June.
Documentary filmmaker John Mork uncovers the gruesome exploits of Peter Mangs, a white supremacist who was 38 when he was arrested for seemingly random murders committed in Malmö. Mork builds the evidence up, bringing in law enforcement, cadaver dogs, ex-FBI, handwriting experts, cold case consultants and behavioural psychologists to analyse the possibility of Mangs being an even more prolific killer than originally thought.
Equal parts frightening and fascinating, this is a well-put-together true-crime documentary.
TV SERIES: Presumed Innocent | Apple TV+
You might be wondering why Presumed Innocent has made its way into our picks, but the reason is that it not only stars the rising Norwegian talent Renate Reinsve, but also involves director Anne Sewitsky—who is also from Norway and directed one of our favourite Norwegian crime series, Monster.
In Presumed Innocent, we see Renate Reinsve playing a very different role from her character in The Worst Person in the World. This time, she portrays a murder victim with an intriguing history involving the main protagonist, Rusty Sabich (played by Jake Gyllenhaal).
The series is based on both the novel and the 1990s film, which starred Harrison Ford, but it adds its own spin by bringing the story into the modern day. We thoroughly enjoyed it and ended up binge-watching the series because we were so eager to see the outcome!
So if you want to enjoy something without subtitles but still see some great Nordic talent at work, Presumed Innocent is a great recommendation!
TV SERIES: End of Summer | BBC iPlayer
The BBC delivered another new Nordic series to get sucked into with the brilliant End of Summer.
Opening with the sudden disappearance of a young boy in the 80s we learn that the search for him is unsuccessful with many of the locals coming to their own conclusions of what happens. Flash foward 20 years later and we catch up with the boy’s sister Vera (played by the brilliant Julia Ragnarsson) who has seemingly managed to move on from the trauma of her past by moving away from the town and living a different, but complicated, life in the city.
One day during one of our counselling sessions a young man named Isak (Erik Enge) appears who seems to be very familiar to Vera, and his background even more so – is it possible that he is her missing brother?
Whilst the series twists and turns there is solid supporting cast to help the story along with the likes of Vilhelm Blomgren (Midsommar), Simon J Berge (Exit), and Torkel Petersson (The Unlikely Murderer).
If the sudden hot summer nights are keeping you awake then this is the perfect thriller to get immersed into!
TV SERIES: The Fortress | Viaplay USA
MARY: Tobias Santelmann, Russell Tovey and Salome Emnetu star in the pandemic conspiracy thriller, The Fortress, which hit streaming platform Viaplay USA in the middle of July. Over the course of seven episodes, their stories are woven together in a series that is packed full of shocking twists.
What gives The Fortress the edge is how very real it feels. It wasn’t so long ago that curfews and masks were a part of our everyday lives, although this series takes it to the extreme. Norway has walled itself off from the rest of the world, ensuring that its citizens remain healthy and free. On the border and beyond the sea, there are refugee camps, packed full of desperate individuals dreaming of this Scandinavian paradise.
But when a mysterious disease starts to threaten the food supply, conspiracy and subterfuge become the order of the day. Is this really the end of the world? Are the politicians telling the truth? What happens when utopia descends into disaster?
A very well-paced, well-written and well-acted series that is sure to grip you from start to finish.
What else happened in July?
- Alex spoke with Norwegian director Thea Hvistendahl to discuss Handling the Undead
- Mary put together a suggested list of series to watch before the arrival of Harry Hole in 2025
- We put together a post sharing some of our favourite titles to discover on Viaplay UK
- Mary did an in-depth review on the True Crimes series Under The Radar and previewed new series The Fortress
What series did you discover and enjoy this month? Anything we have missed and need to catch?
