The Killing – Forbrydelsen (2007)

Directed by: Birger Larsen, Kristoffer Nyholm, Henrik Ruben Genz, Hans Fabian Wullenweber, Charlotte Sieling | 1200 minutes | drama, thriller, crime | Actors: Sofie Gråbøl, Lars Mikkelsen, Bjarne Henriksen, Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, Marie Askehave, Michael Moritzen, Soren Malling, Nicolaj Kopernikus, Bent Mejding, Jonas Leth Hansen, Kasper Leth Hansen, Laura Drasbaek, Anne Marie Helger, Johan Gry, Troels II Munk, Ole Boisen, Morten Suurballe, Farshad Kholghi

Long ago, when the animals still spoke, Jan Pieter Balkenende did not yet compete with Harry Potter and there was no talk of “CSI” yet, a stern voice with a German accent resounded at fixed times in many living rooms. “Derrick, Kriminalpolizei” were the winged words with which Stephan Derrick, inspector at the Munich Criminal Police Department, announced his arrival and which made every criminal piss. This crime series set the standard and was therefore unapproachable for a long time.

Today, fictional crime, like the equally exciting weather forecast, is a regular part of an evening of TV. The number of crime solvers can no longer be kept up with the forest of corpses. Determining which series causes an absolute intoxication of palpitations and beads of sweat is kicking an open door. Totally useless because there is no arguing about taste. But still, lists are always fun.

In Sweden they have of course an absolute topper with Wallander. Serious competition is now coming from neighboring Denmark. With ‘The Killing’ these descendants of the Vikings can call themselves a title candidate for the crown of best whodunit. No grumpy whiner or whiskey-guzzling cynic who conducts the investigation this time. Sarah Lund is an intelligent and sensitive woman, but at the same time a tough aunt in her job as an inspector at the Copenhagen police. When she gets her teeth into a murder case, it has far-reaching consequences. Lund is not afraid to undermine her private life, she is so obsessed with the many twists in the file.

Nanna Birk Larsen makes sure that different figures, who don’t know each other from her or plume, come into contact with each other. The murder of this girl is the tap against the first domino that then causes the well-known effect. An exciting quest follows. But there’s more. Where other crime scenes are tempted to the same pattern:- murder-snoop around a bit-hupsakee it was the baker- a few sidelines are thrown out here. The agony of the grieving parents and the vicissitudes of a politician in full battle for the mayor’s chain are also essential. Moreover, the political games in the town hall are as fierce as the vetting of possible suspects. ‘The Killing’ (‘Forbrydelsen’) is situated between phenomenal and addictive. The series grabs you by the throat like a jackal with a tapeworm spotting a bite-sized zebra at the creek. Scriptwriters of ‘Flikken’, ‘Zone Stad’ and ‘Spoorloos Verdwenen’, all series featuring plots of which a seven-year-old with Alzheimer’s can see the outcome from miles away, are allowed to go to a penal camp in Denmark. For twenty episodes, a smoke screen hangs around the exact facts and the viewer is taken by the nose several times. Each episode is a day in the investigation and delivers tingles of excitement right down to your little toe. The unexpected twists fit neatly together like Lego blocks. The actors, the locations, the sometimes gloomy music, the intermediate shots of Copenhagen… the entire santen stall is finished to perfection. Bjarne Henriksen, Sofie Gråbøl (nominated for an Emmy Award) or Søren Malling will not immediately ring a bell. But don’t worry, their acting is like a granite bunker. Lars Mikkelsen is the brother of … indeed Mads, who was allowed to indulge himself in ‘Casino Royale’ as Le Chiffre and clearly has to compete with his slightly more famous kinsman.

Reserve the sofa and remote control at home, keep in mind that your social life will be put on the back burner and don’t forget the petty thief for cleaning the carpet strewn with bitten nails. ‘The Killing’ is like a bag of chips… you open it and take a few pretzels to taste…then you want more and more… and before you know it the bag is empty…. But it tasted damn good.