Maelstrom

Finally I was able to see this captivating BBC thriller again. It was shown in Finland on August 1985, and I have wanted to see it ever since. The plot involves a British woman Catherine Durrell ,who inherits a farm house and a piece of land in Aalesund, Norway, from a drowned millionaire. Catherine has no idea who this millionaire was, so she travels to Norway to see her legacy. There are a few people who welcome her to her property, but someone (or something) starts to disturb her. The deserted farm house had previously belonged to Freya Jordahl, who had committed suicide years before.

When ever Catherine visits the house she has a feeling that someone was still living there and watching her... at the end, everything about Catherines inheritance is revealed.

That´s all about the plot, but I can say that this BBC thrliller is one of the best I´ve seen, and it still is! I remembered quite many thing from the series, especially the creepy dolls that were inside the farm house. It´s especially the dolls that everyone remembers.

This series is very psycological, captivating and from time to time very horrifying as well. The camera work on the Norwegian fjords is absolutely stunning.

In conclusion, this series has not aged at all during these 18 years, and that´s my honest opinion. Highly recommended!

An Englishwoman inherits property from a Norwegian industrialist she's never met, and, and, see the other reviews, or take my word and watch it without knowing what to expect.

I watched this on TV back in 85, and later on when they did a re-run in the early nineties. I can safely say, no other thriller has made such an impact on me. The matters that are dealt with seems at first to be super-natural, but moves towards a scary insight of the disturbed human mind. The house on the island, the dolls and the woman in white standing at the balcony has burnt itself on my mind. However, the most chilling memory from the series is a very small but important moment in the first episode. The first appearance of Freya Jordahl on the coastal steamer. Creepy indeed. As a Norwegian, I do get annoyed by the moments of "visit-norway" footage, and Tusse Sliberg is at best stiff as Catherine Durell. But the basic mood of the series is so disturbing that it crawls under your skin. It is a thriller so intense you will never forget it, and with very little visual horror. What you don't see is the frightening part.. Special mentioning to the performances of Ann Todd and Susan Gilmore. Brilliant ! And there is of course Edita Brychta. Certainly among the most beautiful actresses ever, really ! ! BBC- we need this on DVD, please, please !!!

When I was a kid Norwegian Broadcasting used to send mini series of suspense, criminal mysteries and thrills during Easter, and I remember Maelstrom as one of them. I do not recall much of the plot and so on, but I have memories of single scenes that left me terrified and afraid of the dark for months. One of the most disturbing happened when a man went over to the solitary house on the island to investigate, and upon entering the room with all the dolls there was a woman standing behind the door. This woman was very scary. I do not know what here agenda was, but I do remember the whole house being burnt down. I am guessing that the insane female character did that. Although I was very young when I watched this, I do think it was quality TV.

In 1985, Maelstrom was sent on Norwegian TV during Easter, and the filming location was in the city of Ålesund and its surrounding. I lived in Ålesund as a student in the mid 80's and watched it, and therefore enjoyed the familiar scenery.

Now in 2007 I bought Maelstrom on DVD and saw it again, for the first time in 22 years!

And I really liked it! The plot is good, building up the tense excitement during the six episodes. Most of the actors are English, and it is fun to listen when they try to speak Norwegian :-)

But anyway, it is a good thriller with an ending many of you could see coming up.

And of course the beautiful scenery of Ålesund is an extra bonus.

Recommended!