Uma Família Quase Perfeita

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.

I enjoyed this. It wasn't too drawn out and it wasn't a super complex storyline. There are random side stories that are fairly unnecessary and whilst a lot of them are the effects on the family, it never really explored them in any depth and so there is a "what is the point?" feel.

The acting is superb and the dubbing on the English version is done so well that it doesn't distract from the series at all.

I also felt (like another user) that episode 6 was rushed, but ultimately, we wanted to know what had happened and wrap it up by then. I also felt that this was meant to be the pre-trial to see if it went to court, but this wasn't explained and wasn't clear. But surely this isn't how trials are done in Sweden.

Overall, an easy and enjoyable watch.

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.

Very psychological and strong. A lot of tension and suspense! In a few minutes many things happen, so some episodes are unnecessarily prolonged, but didn't bother me.

The series is more from the family's point of view in my opinion, because the parts of judicial system here are not realistic. I have seen many Scandinavian series and in this one some forms and the rights of the suspect seemed totally unimaginable to me, like not letting Stella talk to her parents, and without sufficient evidence having her in isolation like that. There is another thing that does not seem well done to me and that is the rol of Stella, she looks the same after 4 years, from 15 to 19 years old there is a considerable change, she hasn't grown, physically or mentally. If this had been more realistic I would have given it a 9!

Well, that's my criticism, although the truth is that I loved the series, very exciting.

The actors are all very good, the story is quite realistic, tense and terrifying. What a family! This story is not at all common, very original and well edited. The impulsive daughter, too much in my opinion, was already damaged in a dysfunctional family from the beginning of the story. What happens after 4 years only makes the situation worse.

The mother is pathetic, lies and more lies just to protect her daughter, and nothing is proven at the beginning!.

A very distant family, keeping up appearances. Here is a very clear message and it will surely leave its mark on many families, see it and judge for yourself. I really like that they give good attention to this issue, be careful who you interact with and who you trust, and don't leave your drink unattended, it's real life.

I liked the last episode because of how unexpected it seemed to me, until the very end you don't know how, when and where, very nicely done! We have to defend ourselves from animals! By the way a trial doesn't work like that, but you may have already realized.

The series should be watched in the original version with subtitles, and I also really like to listen to Swedish.

I recommend it! An exciting story, modern and with an important and realistic theme and message.

First of all, when I first watched the official teaser of the TV show I really liked it and I had high expectations about it. Eventually, it was as good as I had imagined and it definitely deserves more attention. The plot of the TV show was very interesting, mysterious and kinda innovative. The storyline was very well written, well-explained and kinda shocking. The characters were very interesting, well-developed and really likeable (except, Christian). Also, the casting was nice and their acting was incredible. I have to admit, it was a very intense TV show and there were too many shocking moments. In my opinion, the ending was kinda unpredictable and it was very emotionally intense (episode 6 was probably the best part of the show). Overall, "A Nearly Normal Family" was an enjoyable TV series, very mysterious and I would definitely recommend it to anyone!