Given the heavy rain and blistering winds yesterday, I was forced indoors and found myself at a loss. I'd largely spent the last two weeks of my annual leave going on day trips or working in the garden (it's been one of the driest and warmest Augusts on record). I read for a hour or so, but then during early afternoon I fixed myself a drink, a nice dram of Wild Turkey 101, and started to browse the internet - not looking for anything in particular, just travelling the cyber highways. I eventually came upon a retrospective article on the Danish/Swedish crime drama, The Bridge (HERE) and that remined me of how much I enjoy the well acted, tightly scripted dramas that come under the umbrella term, Nordic Noir.
This led me to pop over to ALL4, the free streaming service, from the UK's own Channel Four and search for Walter Presents - Walter Presents is a new VOD channel, presented by Walter Iuzzolino, that is part of All 4 (formerly 4oD), Channel 4’s on-demand service. It showcases foreign-language series that would otherwise not be available in the UK and is a joint initiative between Global Series Network (GSN) and Channel 4
After scanning the list of available shows I settled on Snow Angels. By the end of the first episode I was hooked and by early evening I had watched all six episodes and was left flabbergasted by this quite brilliant, darker than dark thriller.
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Created and written by Mette Heeno, the drama is compelling right from the first when we discover that a young mother, wakes from a tranquiliser induced sleep to find both her husband and her five week old baby missing. We are swiftly introduced to two other women who will play a part in the tangled web the drama spins with each of them enduring their own personal problems, whilst trying to keep their professional lives on track. First we have Maria, a paediatric nurse who is trying to care for her brain-damaged brother and Alice, a police officer just returning to work after her husband suffered a debilitating stroke. These three women find their lives intertwined right up to the stunningly unexpected conclusion.
There's no glitz and glamour in this well realised working class setting - we have characters doing two jobs to make ends meet and heaps of misery is piled upon each character and those around them as things spiral out of control. Special mention must go to actor, Maria Rossing who is simply superb as the quietly brooding, Maria but all of the cast are top knotch. Ardalan Esmaili for one is simply excellent as the overworked father of the missing baby, but then all of the players give great performances.
I won't go into any more detail as this risks spoiling what is a cleverly constructed and totally believable story that won't disappoint. You'll never guess the way things actually play out but when it's all over everything will make perfect sense.
Quite brilliant - UK viewers can watch Snow Angels HERE -
Viewers outside the UK should check streaming services for the show.
