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Get your latest fix of Scandi noir with this punchy adaptation of the first novel in Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series, in which disgruntled Danish cop Carl Mørck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) picks up a forgotten case of a woman (Sonja Richter) who went missing five years ago. Needless to say, she’s still alive and enduring a fate that makes Lisbeth Salander’s life look like a bed of roses.
While the plot toys with credibility, director Mikkel Nørgaard ( Borgen ) conjures a squalid atmosphere – the stuff of real nightmares. This is so grimly compelling that even if you want to look away, you won’t be able to.
James Mottram is a freelance film journalist, author of books that dive deep into films like Die Hard and Tenet, and a regular guest on the Total Film podcast. You'll find his writings on 12DOVE and Total Film, and in newspapers and magazines from across the world like The Times, The Independent, The i, Metro, The National, Marie Claire, and MindFood.