Nobody does a darkish and grisly homicide just like the Scandinavians. The steadily rising recognition of Nordic noir is testomony sufficient to this reality, as viewers of all stripes proceed to embrace the twisty, chilly sub-genre, recognized for its flawed protagonists, moody visuals, bleak subject material, and slow-burn strategy to storytelling. Often fairly a bit darker than your common crime thriller, these tales usually characteristic acquainted plot beats garnished with unflinching violence and complicated supporting characters. Netflix’s “The Chestnut Man” is without doubt one of the higher current examples of this phenomenon, a Danish thriller from 2021 that follows the investigation right into a string of serial murders, all marked by the inclusion of a disturbing chestnut figurine alongside numerous mutilated lifeless our bodies.
Now, 5 years later, Netflix is returning to the Nordic noir effectively with “The Chestnut Man: Conceal and Search”. A standalone sequel that’s primarily based on one other e book by creator Søren Sveistrup, who might be finest often called the creator of the internationally acclaimed drama “The Killing,” it’s a follow-up that ticks lots of the identical narrative packing containers that made its predecessor so profitable, and even cribs its identify for some added model consciousness. Technically, viewers don’t even have to have seen the unique to get pleasure from this installment. (Although, after all, it’s good in case you have.)
The six-episode sequel re-teams the unorthodox pair of seasoned Copenhagen detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) and Europol interloper Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) for a totally new investigation. The pair’s pre-existing emotional connection is the present’s solely actual hyperlink to its predecessor, however “Conceal and Search” provides some new context by confirming that the 2 tried a romantic relationship within the unseen multi-year hole between the 2 seasons, and their subsequent (additionally offscreen) break-up has left loads of unresolved pressure between them.
“Conceal and Search” begins in 1992, as a short prologue follows a busload of schoolchildren on a nature subject journey who uncover a lifeless physique within the marshlands. The present isn’t delicate in any respect about the truth that this case will by some means play into the season’s bigger thriller; the primary of a number of formulaic components pops up all through its episodes. In present-day Copenhagen, Thulin and Hess are thrown again collectively to resolve a case involving a lady named Zara Solack (Elisha Lack) who’s discovered murdered after being stalked and harassed by a mysterious determine who despatched her creepy texts containing lyrics from a nursery rhyme-esque track about counting, with some grossly misogynistic bits thrown in for good measure. However when it seems that Zara isn’t the one one who has obtained such texts, Thulin and Hess should discover a method to work collectively once more to seek out and thwart a killer.
Elsewhere, grieving mom Marie Holst (Sofie Gråbøl) remains to be struggling to return to phrases with the lack of her daughter, Emma, greater than two years after her disappearance and demise. Decided to get justice for her homicide, she’s nonetheless digging into the previous: Going by Emma’s laptop computer, reconnecting along with her pals, and grilling an ex for any particulars her daughter may need saved from her again then about her private life. Nobody who has seen the unique “The Chestnut Man” (or just about any associated present on this style) shall be shocked when proof finally suggests Emma’s chilly case and the continued present-day murders are linked indirectly, however creators Dorte W. Høgh and Emilie Lebech Kaae handle to weave the 2 seemingly disparate plots collectively in a surprisingly satisfying method. (And that’s a lot much less clunky than the collection’s later callbacks to its opening homicide.)
As a framing machine, the obnoxious counting rhyme doesn’t provide fairly as compelling or creepy a hook because the disturbing chestnut collectible figurines that littered the present’s first season. (Whether or not it’s because the track is intangible or actually simply type of unhealthy is a judgment finest left to the viewer’s discretion.) Nothing about “Conceal and Search’s” central thriller feels notably groundbreaking in its supply or story, and there are moments when its slow-burn narrative type can really feel particularly ponderous. However for many who benefit from the Nordic noir style’s acquainted themes and plot beats, it is a robust instance of lots of its strengths.
The collection is extremely atmospheric, boasting moody visuals, muted colours, and a typically claustrophobic really feel. It’s positively not a drama for the faint of coronary heart — there’s a number of violence, demise, and a few pretty grisly kills — nevertheless it’s tense and tastefully shot. It wrestles with often troublesome subject material with out sensationalizing its worst components. And there are a number of main surprises, together with a dramatic mid-season twist that utterly reshapes a lot of the story in surprising methods, and a remaining reveal that’s much less overtly telegraphed than the conclusion of its predecessor.
Thulin and Hess’s partnership stays compelling regardless of their interpersonal issues, and the chemistry between Curcic and Følsgaard powers a lot of the season’s first episodes, notably because the still-disparate items of the present’s bigger thriller come into focus round them. Followers who watched the unique “The Chestnut Man” could discover themselves aggravated that the franchise primarily ignored the first beats of the pair’s romantic relationship, however their unresolved private points loom giant over a lot of their investigation.
Curcic makes for a sensible and succesful lead, however Følsgaard will get caught with the decidedly unenviable job of making an attempt to make Hess’s dedication points appear fascinating, a job at which he doesn’t at all times succeed. (Hess apparently simply left the nation and ghosted Naia after courting for six months? Boo this man.) Among the many supporting forged, Gråbøl is a standout because the grieving Marie, torn between her need for justice and her must be current for her surviving youngsters. Ester Birch can also be glorious as Thulin’s now significantly older daughter, Le, who’s resentful about Hess’s abandonment of her and her mom.
On the finish of the day, “The Chestnut Man: Conceal and Search” isn’t precisely a collection that’s reinventing the wheel on this planet of crime dramas. However, in some ways, its formulaic nature is a part of its enchantment, and its stable execution makes for an satisfying sufficient experience. (When you get the counting rhyme out of your head, a minimum of.)
All six episodes screened for assessment. Premieres Could 7 on Netflix.
