A Nordic noir mystery that left viewers ‘blown away’ with its twists is now available to watch for free.
First released on Sky Showcase last year, the joint Icelandic- American series The Darkness was based on the best-selling book series of the same name by Icelandic author Ragnar Jónasson.
The six-part series – which a reviewer called ‘one of the best detective dramas of the past year’ – follows Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir, played by Lena Olin, as she investigates a shocking murder case.
The drama kicks off with the discovery of the frozen body of a young woman in a glacier.
As Hulda faces an impending early retirement and is forced to accept a new partner (Lukas, played by Jack Bannon), she becomes even more determined to solve the case, even if that involves putting herself in danger.
At the same time she’s also ‘haunted by the suicide of her daughter a year previously, which has also caused tensions in her marriage as she is unable or unwilling to talk about it’.
Filmed in Iceland, the series was directed and executive produced by two-time Oscar nominee Lasse Hallström, best known for directing almost all the music videos for ABBA, as well as the films My Life as a Dog, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Chocolat.
This week the series was made available on Channel 4 in the UK, making it free to watch in full.
When the show was initially released, it garnered positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike.
‘The intensity of the drama, from start to finish, is exceptionally well-paced. The plot and twists, episode after episode, gives viewers much to think about,’ Medium wrote in its review.
Meanwhile viewer Russell wrote on IMDB: ‘I really loved this show. It’s slow-burning but in a good way – it keeps you thinking and pulls you in deeper with each episode. The writing is clever and subtle, and the setting is just stunning. Really adds to the whole feel of the show.’
‘Wow, I just finished The Darkness, and I’m blown away. This show is everything I’ve been craving in a Nordic noir series. The way they’ve captured Iceland’s raw beauty while weaving in such a gripping and emotional story – chef’s kiss!’ Barb shared.
‘The twists and turns throughout the story are incredibly satisfying, keeping you on the edge of your seat without feeling cheap or overly convoluted. Every revelation adds depth to the narrative, and you can tell that a lot of care went into crafting a well-paced, intelligent mystery,’ David added.
Others called it ‘gripping’ and a ‘masterpiece’.
Speaking to the Sweden Herald, Lena shared what drew her to the role of her fictional detective.
‘It’s a female character who is so uncompromising, so hard, so incredibly difficult for those around her, and absolutely, absolutely wonderful,’ she said.
The actress also related to how Hulda handled grief.
‘I’ve been through terrible things, and what I understand about Hulda is that she puts her grief aside somewhere and then lets it lie there. That’s something I can identify with. Some people love to talk about things, but Hulda and I probably suffer from the same thing, we try to work our way out of grief instead,’ she added.
The Darkness is streaming on Channel 4.
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