The Killing 3 – Forbrydelsen III (2012)

Directed by: Natasha Arthy, Mikkel Serup, Kathrine Windfeld, Hans Fabian Wullenweber | 600 minutes | crime, drama, thriller | Actors: Sofie Gråbøl, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Morten Suurballe, Sigurd Holmen le Dous, Stig Hoffmeyer, Olaf Johannessen, Trine Pallesen, Jonatan Spang, Henrik Birch, Asbjørn Agger, Anders W. Berthelsen, Helle Fagralid, Pelle Koppel, Thomas W. Gabrielsson , Oliver Ternstrøm, Sara-Marie Maltha

It is a strange observation that the makers of the immensely popular ‘The Killing’ (‘Forbrydelsen’) are pulling the plug with the third season. The Danish crime series has credibility far beyond national borders and even received recognition, albeit as a remake, in the US. The main character Sarah Lund is nominated in some circles as a feminist icon and is the subject of thorough research in a London university. We secretly hope that the creative think tank behind this series will have to recharge its batteries and that a fourth series will follow in the future.

Detective Sarah Lund is about to celebrate her anniversary with the police. Just then, body parts are found in the harbor. When a little while later the daughter of a big name is kidnapped, she again becomes involved in a very complicated case. The key to this lies in an old, unsolved murder. Lund searches for two perpetrators and her investigation takes her to the top of the government.

Screenwriter Soren Sveistrup sharpened his pen again and adds a (provisional) criminal capstone to this addictive piece of television. Novice screenwriters have a hard time with his mental work. Sveistrup again throws a current theme, the financial crisis, on the crime story and carelessly tries to break the world record for plotting twists. Be warned: ‘The Killing 3’ nestles under your braincase and lets the brain grind unintentionally. Even days after the last episode, your system is still poisoned.

An important fact in this series is the lack of a false dilemma. In Sveistrup’s universe, everyone has a double agenda or split morals. It sharpens the unusually realistic characters even more. What also stands out is Sarah Lund’s transformation. She now lives alone in a house and tries to improve contact with her son. Fortunately, she is still miles away from all those overstyled babes from American series. The ending of ‘The Killing’ is unseen. The last act shows a lot of guts and provides food for discussion. And so this series will haunt for a long time to come.

‘Forbrydelsen’ has set the bar very high. We are very curious who can still talk about this.