‘The Valhalla Murders’ Season 1 Preview: From chills to peek into local life, everything to expect from Icelandic thriller
Iceland is a beautiful, quiet, and peaceful country, they say. Not anymore perhaps, as a serial killer goes on the loose for the first time ever. People of Reykjavik had never known about an urban legend so gory and it is bound to run a shiver down your spine. But then it happens. The local police are out of bounds with their analysis and investigation, even with an accomplished senior officer like Kata. Ergo, they resort to expert opinion and invite investigator Arnar, all the way from Oslo. What unfolds eventually, is shocking, chilling, and nerve racking and we can assure you that it will keep you on the edge of your seats.
This is pretty much how ‘The Valhalla Murders’ looks like at first glance. The Icelandic series first aired on their local network RUV, during Christmas 2019. And now, the rest of the world can get a good look at the Scandinavian country’s entertainment chops.
So, what can we expect from this upcoming crime thriller?
Well, for starters, ‘The Valhalla Murders’ is a window into Iceland’s entertainment industry. The northern European nation might be famous for its natural wonders and geographical significance, but very little is known about its art and culture. From exposing us to how law and order works in Iceland, to how locals deal with the police, or handle a social threat, there seems to be a lot of scope for learning more about the community.
For instance, the character of Arnar, one of the two leading protagonists of the story, might not be an ultimate personification of Icelandic police, but is enough to let us into the mindset of detectives from that part of the world. Or even the character of Kata for that matter.
This takes us to the next point of discussion - the rising popularity of Scandinavian series across the globe. Thanks to streaming giants like Netflix, the world now has a window into entertainment productions from this part of the world. Of late, shows from Norway, Finland, Denmark are picking up and touching global viewers, one show at a time. And now, with ‘The Valhalla Murders’, Iceland’s television industry has also joined the list. In fact, the network that originally created and produced the series, RUV, is the leading national public broadcasting service in Iceland, and honors the country’s cultural heritage, freedom of speech through a large number of shows across various genres. A series coming from a network with such a portfolio is ought to be worthwhile.
Talking about entertainment production values from Scandinavia, we have recently seen some incredible projects on Netflix, which speaks of what the global audience could expect from these communities. While we do have a fair amount of knowledge and exposure to their movies, it is not the same when it comes to television, since the content seems to be localized.
But then with series like ‘Ragnarok’, ‘Blood Riot’, or ‘Quicksand’, the small screen productions have also expanded their following and have garnered immense fanfare across the world.
We are hoping that ‘The Valhalla Murders’ will only take this growth curve upward and we can soon get to see more of such series on Netflix. Last, but not the least, with a cast as strong as of this series in question, quality performance is beyond any question.
The murder mystery series stars leading local stars like Nína Dögg Filippudóttir and Björn Thors, among others in the main roles. Both the actors are recognized and popular in their own rights and it will indeed be a pleasure to see regional talents shine on a global platform.
‘The Valhalla Murders’ premieres its first season on Netflix, on March 12, 2020.