Jens Henrik Jensen’s Oxen book series consists of six thrillers, each centred around the titular character. A war veteran suffering from PTSD, Niels Oxen rejects conventional life and the trappings of the city. Instead, he prefers to spend time in nature, camping out in woodlands and removing himself from the whispers and sideways glances of “civvy street”. Who could possibly understand what he has gone through; what he has seen?
This is the jumping off point for Jannik Johansen’s six part series, which lands on Channel 4 in the UK. We see flashbacks of Niels (Shorta’s Jacob Lohmann) in Afghanistan and quickly understand how this has impacted his return to “normal” life. He sleeps in his garage on a fold-down bed, struggles to maintain any form of human relationships and is troubled by a sense of profound paranoia. The series opens with the bugle call of a hunting group and a body rolled up in carpet being tossed from a grand country house. And from there, it only gets more wild and bloody.
This is a TV series that, across all six episodes, demands that you keep up. The body count is, quite frankly, gargantuan and there are lots of characters who will come and go (but are essential to the plot). There will be no scrolling on your phone whilst this particular drama unravels. Johnny Gregersen (Borgen’s Mikael Birkkjær) threatens to whistle blow on a mysterious group of former army generals and government ministers, only to end up under a lorry. From there, more barely credible accidents and suicides happen, prompting Frigg Mossman (played by Ellen Hillingsø and, thus, gender-swapping the character from the novels) to set up a small team of detectives. Drawing Oxen into her team, he stumbles across blackmail, murder and political subterfuge.
What Johansen gets right, from the offset, is the pacing. In the first episode alone, the body count stands at five. This is a series that isn’t afraid to get its knuckles bloodied. There are lots of shadowy figures following at a distance and sneaking into locked rooms. There’s even the classic “transferring data onto a USB against the clock” scenario.
As Oxen reluctantly plows further into his investigation, you get the clear sense that his life is at risk and that is constantly being watched. This helps us, as viewers, settle into his paranoid mindset. There are dramatic shootouts, kidnappings, hand-to-hand combat and plenty of explosions. Owing to this, there are lots of moments where you may find yourself holding your breath. More than this, just about every character seems to be unfamiliar with the truth so it’s really hard to trust in or empathise with anyone.
Jacob Lohmann does a good job of playing the titular character. He is either shoulders back, on high alert, or crumpled into himself. And whilst he struggles to communicate with most humans, Oxen does form a bond with Margrethe (Josephine Park), a detective who has recently become an amputee. They are almost kindred spirits as they both struggle to adapt to their newfound reality. Their pairing is enjoyable to watch as the series develops. It’s almost like both of them are learning to care again through seeing the other’s trauma.
The series also plays around with setting. Landowner Corfitzen (Henrik Birch) calls the opulent red brick Nørlund Castle home, as does his nephew, Hannibal, (Anders Heinrichsen) and his daughter, Kasja (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen). The decadent rooms are filled with gleaming marble busts and ornate tapestries.
Constrasting this is Oxen’s humble forest set-up. He is surrounded by verdant scenery and the sound of the birds in the trees. His surroundings are simple, to make space for his crowded mind. We also catch glimpses of busy Copenhagen, the stark white police investigation rooms and the boujie beach side home of Christian Tafdrup’s arrogant Minister for Justice. Johansen really wants to hammer home the scale and spread of the corruption, here.
Oxen is a wild ride of a series that encompasses everything from greed and political scheming to murder and sexual assault. There are genuinely shocking moments of the very worst of human cruelty and desperation. It wants – and needs – you to pay attention. Which characters are good and who isn’t telling the truth? What is a clue and what is simply a red herring?
Episode six ends on a cliffhanger, refusing to tie all its loose ends up neatly. This could suggest that Oxen will be back for more. And, with five other books available for adaptation, this could well be the case. Either that, or we’ll simply be left looking over our shoulders forever, a bit like the man himself.
Oxen arrives on Channel 4’s streaming platform on November 15 and on Channel 4 itself on November 17.