A Nearly Normal Family

First of all congratulations to the outstanding unknown actress Alexandra Karlsson, this is her first film. I watched the series on Binge until the sixth episode, which in 49 minutes tries to overload the viewer with too much information, and as if it was written by a writer from outer space. I don't know the Swedish legal system, but if that's how they operate there In the reality of police investigations, but especially murder trials, the result is that it is actually easier to be a criminal in Sweden. The courtroom looks like a hall in the Palace of Versailles. A criminal trial and a legal decision that ends in less than an hour after witness testimony and summaries? How can you search for the truth like this? I know it's not a docu-film, but to know that's how they do it in court is ridiculous and outlandish. In the end, I was left with philosophical questions, what are the insights that the film is trying to convey to the viewer? What is the conclusion from the movie? Does it pay to lie and cheat? I won't write, but everyone will probably find the answer at the end of the movie.

This Swedish crime drama probably doesn't quite qualify as Scandi-noir but as a good, almost old-fashioned murder mystery, it played out well over six intriguing and entertaining episodes.

The plot centres on troubled 19 year old only-child Stella, daughter to her priest father and lawyer mother. We first see her years before, being raped at the age of only fifteen by her much older sports coach, but being talked out of prosecuting the man principally by her mother because of her "frozen fright" at what was happening to her.

Cut to the present day and to her parents' disappointment, Stella has dropped out of university to work in a cafe, which career choice we see contrasted rather unfavourably with her best friend Amina, who's applying herself at university. In the background too, it's clear there's now a communication problem with her mother who herself is distracted by having an affair with a legal colleague. Unsurprisingly, dad's caught somewhere in the middle, hence the title of the programme, I guess.

Stella's outlook changes when she falls for a handsome, older guy but even when warned by one of his ex-girl-friends of his controlling tendencies and even of a suspicion that he drugs and sexually assaults his unsuspecting partners, Stella defiantly continues the affair, despite moments when she seems to see through her lover's smooth-talking facade. Then, on a planned night-out with Amina, Stella returns home late in the early morning, goes straight into a shower and brusquely fobs off her dad's concerned enquiries at her disturbed demeanour, the poor man's state of mind exacerbated further by his absent wife clandestinely meeting her lover on the very same night. The next morning, the fireworks begin as the police arrive to arrest Stella for the murder the previous night of her boyfriend. So, who did the deed and why?

The show does a good job of displaying the family tensions at play between father, mother and daughter, which certainly contribute to Stella's restless, rebellious nature. It also examines the motivations of her parents who we see facing up in different ways to the shared guilt they feel over not supporting Stella when she was raped previously. The mother, as well as extricating herself from her affair, now actively uses her privileged position to investigate the case herself while the father reacts more irrationally, appearing to lose his faith and actually accosting the prosecuting counsel and then hunting down and beating up his daughter's rapist.

The unraveling of the murder is told using overlapping time-lines, as we see Stella in prison gradually remembering the events of the night of the murder up to the present, which culminates in the final big reveal in the concluding episode when she's put on trial for murder.

Over six episodes, there was inevitably some padding out of the story and one or two improbable plot points, none more so than when the lawyer appointed to Stella's defence turns out to be her mum's lover. Nevertheless, crisply directed, well acted and with a satisfying final outcome, this was an above average murder-mystery certainly worth seeking out.

Who is Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors? The actress with no IMDb profile pic and no other credits to her name as of this writing. She is mesmerizing in "A Nearly Normal Family," the lead star who carries the series from beginning to end. Bravo! She should receive some acting awards for this nuanced performance. This series gets you hooked, mostly because the flow is seamless. All the episodes blend together as if it is one long, compelling movie. Time jumps are part of the storytelling, however they are handled with subtlety and finesse, keeping you curious, concerned, and entertained at the same time. As a bonus, this is also an opportunity to take a peek at Swedish happenings and those very aesthetically pleasing interior designs.

In a world of near identical whodunnits and psychological crime shows, this one stands out above so many. A stunningly good performance from the young female lead (Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, a star on the rise) whose life is broken then somehow patched together again after a rape in her teenage years makes for a truly compelling perspective on hurt and resilience. The supporting actors (particularly her father, but also her mother and her boyfriend) are terrific too - nuanced, subtle performances that add up to much more than the plot on its own conveys.

Fantastic cinematography, editing, and, most important, script add up to one of the best miniseries in the genre in recent years.

When I started watching this my hopes weren't that high. A friend of mine had mentioned watching it, and though he didn't actually say anything about what he thought of it, the way he mentioned it implied that it was kind of average; watchable but nothing special. But hey, everyone seemed to have watched it, so I put it on. My attention span is fried and I'll probably be bored in about 20 minutes. I'll turn it off and go to sleep.

As you can tell, that's not what happened. This was great. Really great. The acting is superb, especially from Alexandra Karlsson Tylefors who plays Stella, but just about everyone does a great job portraying realistic and complex characters. The story really captured my fried attention span and actually made me engage in it. It's also beautifully filmed, which contrasts the often dark and depressing events of the story.

Strong characterization, dialogue and script. In a sense, I think this series does well what a lot of Swedish crime drama shows typically do wrong. Instead of rejecting characterization for the sake of an uninteresting criminal investigation the audience really couldn't care less about, this show is smart enough to give you an actual reason for caring to follow the characters involved in the case, which then also makes you actually want to follow the story concerning the criminal investigation.

I was, atleast, at the edge of my seat watching it. It's probably the first time in one or two years that I've prioritized watching a tv show before sleeping. This is the Swedish Netflix production I've liked the most so far, even though most other users on here seem to disagree. Swedish streaming services; take notes.