The Valhalla Murders

I thought this was a brilliant piece and didn't want it to end. Right until the final episode you are held in the dark. There are a few gaps and weaknesses but on the whole it is wonderfully suspenseful. I hope they make another series with Kata and Arnar as the lead detectives in a new Nordic police thriller.

The murder mystery is fairly typical, the twists expectable but ok-ish, the acting good, although the effort by Nordic shows to say 'hey, we have problems too' is a bit obvious. Enjoyable enough to watch, but nothing special.

This is very similar to a welsh series called Hinterland. Same plot.

Well-realized homicide show from Iceland. The austere scenery is breathtaking and the cinematography topnotch (although far too dark indoors, sometimes obscuring important clues) and the writing brisk and plot-driven. Like other dramas from Iceland, some of actions of the characters (phones conveniently left in cars, cops inexplicably turning their backs in dangerous situations etc.), are questionable and a bit lazy. Perhaps Icelanders are a bit more naive than the rest of us? The acting is wonderful and sincere, rarely overdoing it. Despite these minor flaws, I binged the series and was fully engaged from beginning to end. Looking forward to another season.

The Valhalla Murders

This was a total treat from start to finish with tight acting and an even tighter script. Two elements that needed strengthening to get a 10/10, I first wanted more banter between the cops to prevent it becoming mechanical and creating more character. They tried with the technical nerd and the country cop but it was wasn't quite there. Secondly the forensics needed to drive the investigation along with the research, at times here the forensics followed the events by way of confirmation.

Lastly we didn't get a full blown explanation of motive by the killer, why these boys, why this home.

Either way I loved this drama and the two main leads were fabulous.