If you look at the poster for Jens Östberg’s Taelgia, you can’t help but notice a map containing the interwoven stories of its key characters. But, perhaps, another interpretation is that this is an image of veins, streaking their way through a closely connected community, spreading poison into every corner. This new six-part Viaplay series takes a very different approach to criminality and its impact on the local community. It explores notions of identity and belonging; of the moral grey area in an extremely tense, well-paced manner.

Östberg co-writes the series with Jörgen Hjerdt and Pauline Wolff, centring it around the city of Södertälje (and, specifically, the tower block district of Ronna). Within the first episode, we meet Isac (Fikret Cesmeli), who has gambled away his family home, forcing his wife and three children into a smaller flat in Ronna. Then there is Baloo (Tanki Mosa) and Jackie (Nurbo Bozan), enforcers for the gangster, Jano (Simon Mezher). Marko (Joney Pineda Skallak) is one of their teenage errand boys, who quickly befriends Isac’s son, Gabi (John Hanna), dragging him into a world of crime and consequences.

We are also introduced to Sibel (Sara Shirpey), who has moved back in with her family in Södertälje as part of her move to the local police force. There are clear tensions in the area, between Swedes and the immigrant population; between the police and residents of the tower blocks; between different factions within Jano’s organisation. It’s a tension that is insidious throughout the whole drama, permeating almost every action and reaction.

Andreas Tengblad’s score pulsates through all six episodes like a quickening heartbeat, adding to the drama of the various narratives. Unlike other crime dramas, Taelgia uses its violence sparingly, maximising the impact of a drive-by shooting or a fist to the face. Instead, it chooses to focus more on the unravelling of a community, the connections between poverty and crime and the generational impact of failed attempts at integration. Its power lies in its dialogue. “Because if we become just like them, what will be left of us?” teacher Milan asks of Sibel, who is labelled a Judas for choosing a career that is deemed to be on the side of the Swedes. This isn’t a fast-paced of flashy series – and there is certainly no romanticising of any criminality here – but rather a slow-burn drama that is very much focused on the human consequences of life in Ronna.

The performances are all excellent, throughout. It can sometimes be hard to “shine” in an ensemble cast but each of the characters are well fleshed out; their motivations clear. In particular, the dynamic between Marko and Gabi is fascinating to watch. Marko has no one in his life beyond Baloo whereas Gabi is part of a family dynamic and is keen to forge a career as a mechanic for himself. He is torn between having a friend and having a future. There’s one particularly poignant scene where Gabi’s mother collects him from the police station, fussing over him and asking questions, whilst Marko stands alone, with no one in his life who cares enough to fuss. “You have a good family … you don’t want this life,” Baloo warns him. Both John Hanna and Joney Pineda Skallak lend a striking vulnerability to their characters. There is a grimy hopelessness cloaked around them both as they plunge deeper and deeper into criminal behaviour.

Sara Shirpey is excellent as Sibel, a woman who is singled out as the “token” Syriac speaker within the police. She is not Swedish enough for the force but seen as something of a traitor within her community. You can see how much Sibel does want to improve the lives of those in Ronna, only to be meet with jeers and accusations. But her desire to help could have fatal consequences for those involved with Baloo and Jackie, as a colleague reminds her when she tries to draw a young boy in as an informant. Östberg sets up an “us and them” mentality very quickly, with Sibel’s battle with her identity prevalent throughout the series. It is made tangible by Shirpey’s sensitive performance.

In spite of its careful pacing, episode six really ramps up the tension to the finale of the series. This is where we see some of the most brutal acts of the entire show. There is a seemingly never-ending number of consequences and victims. Poverty will always breed acts of desperation. Gabi promises Marko – in a highly unconvincing tone – that he is with him “for life”, after which the camera quickly cuts to an unsettling shot of Gabi’s young brother, Daniel, staring down the lens. This cycle of trauma, violence and disillusionment is set to continue.

Although there is no sign of season two on the horizon, Taelgia does leave you wanting more. Not every loose end is tied up neatly in a bow (as in life). If you enjoyed the likes of Huset and Deliver Me, then Taelgia is a must watch.

All six episodes of Taelgia will be available on both UK (9th September) and US Viaplay (24th September), as well as in several other European countries.