Monster

It is a little difficult to know where to start with this review. There are seven episodes in total of this Norwegian-noir. By the end I think I had just about managed to work out who had killed whom and why, but in the process I had also slightly lost the will to live!

As other reviewers have already observed, seven episodes is far too many for this drama. There probably was potential for a decent thriller here but, sadly, this was sabotaged by a convoluted storyline including the now well worn trope of strange religious and ritual practices, plus some very odd directing choices.

There are a few positives. Despite mixed performances, the actress who plays Hedda is very good, and snowy Norwegian landscapes are always beautiful to look at. I must also commend two actors for their sheer bravery in filming a post-sauna scene outside (not what you might be thinking!).

One final thought. I am still trying to comprehend why two of the younger characters leave with each other right at the end, as friends, to begin a new future for themselves after one essentially tortured the other in an earlier episode. All very strange - much like the entire series of Monster.

Monster draws on a long tradition of Nordic family sagas to weave a tale of a contemporary investigation into the murder and ritualistic burial of a young member of a religious cult.

Hedda Hersoug is a police officer on leave in her home town. She's there to look after her ailing father (and escape her ailing marriage), but is drawn into the murder investigation. Soon, another team of investigators arrive to assist with the inquiry. Hedda clashes with Joel Dreyer who is dismissive of her credentials and her local knowledge.

Hedda and Joel eventually manage to work together, only to reveal a connection between the present-day murders and the unexplained disappearance of Hedda's mother when she was a child.

The series explores the entanglements of family and community and the efforts to preserve and avenge family honour, often--as in the sagas--by violent means. The performances are understated and powerful and mirrored in the stark landscape where silence, like snow, blankets much. The character of Margot, a local crime matriarch, played by Goruld Mauseth, was a stand-out for me.

Whilst I agree with most of the negative reviews and the mind numbing stupidity of the script , I also agree that a very good cast made the best of it and I actually ended up enjoying it . No idea WHY but I did.

A little different in terms of comparing this series to other Nordic thrillers. A little slow and plodding, but makes for some interesting characters....especially the women. A relatively new and young actress who plays JANI in the series is interesting in that she emotes much in her facial expressions and lack of speech. Nice job for her first major role. The main female cop, HEDDA, is also interesting in that she shows emotion both in expression and facial responses. most male characters, except for one, are old and dull, and you get tired of seeing them so much...but, alas, they are necessary to the story. The scenery is gorgeous and moody. This is definitely not your typical Hollywood crime thriller. Nordic regions, keep them coming.

Monster tries to make the most of the brilliant, mystical Artic circle, but in the end, for me, the script and pace was a massive let down. Monster is the starts with a missing persons investigation. The lead investigators are a combative couple - a prodigal daughter with a curious past who has returned to care for her ailing father, and a young detective battling his own personal demons. Missing turns to murder and the body count rapidly multiplies as the layers of the small community are peeled away to reveal infidelity, religious zealotism, drug trafficking and more. The investigators flounder as the looping plotlines entangle them and they push up against their own inadequacies (at a certain point one concedes that they are pretty hopeless at the job of detecting). The cinematography is lovely and some of the performances are compelling, but the pace is inconsistent and neither the undercurrent of mysticism nor the tightening circle of a murder investigation are fully realised. As the plot tangents multiplied, my suspension of disbelief was challenged by a few too many convenient coincidences, not to mention police work that would make the Keystone Cops feel like an elite force. I'm pretty sure that a 21st century Norwegian police force, even a small one, in the remote northern reaches, wouldn't settle for repeated crime scene violations and un-bagged, unsecured evidence being traipsed about the countryside. I swear I'm not being pedantic. It's those kind of details that serve as a huge distraction, particularly when the plot itself is at risk of sinking. I think Monster tries too hard to do too much, and in the end become so muddied that none of the storylines feel satisfactorily told.