Nordic Noir – The new spine chiller in town

What is film noir?

Film noir (which means “dark film” in French), a style of filmmaking, is distinguished by such elements as cynical heroes, desolate lighting, repeated flashbacks, intricate plots, disenchantment, alienation, nihilism and underlying existentialist crisis painted with German expressionism’s shadows and lavishly juxtaposed by Italian Neo-Realism. This genre was widespread among Americans post-World War II era (the 1940s).

The Nordic noir films can be called “Crime Drama/Crime Fiction,” but the word “noir” is the right fit. Mainly because it focuses on dark themes from the police/detectives’ point of view using simple language and avoiding metaphor, which takes place during wintertime (in many cases) when the temperature drops below 0°. We all are well aware that startingly grisly crime happens more frequently at night and the dense snow that covers the bleak landscape makes it harder for the cops to fight crime, resulting in a dark and morally complex mood. The Nordic noir movies can also be defined by theirits emotional chilliness and an overarching sense of despair expressed using a complete package of crimes such as brutal and gory murders, misogyny, misandry, suicides, serial killers, corrupt cops, prostitution, alcoholism, drugs, rape, racism and vengeance. The Nordic noir genre features characters who struggle with the moral dilemma between the good and the bad, and it contrasts with the whodunit style such as the English country house murder mystery.

In certain parts of Sweden and Scandinavia in general, the summer sun blazes down from the wee hours of the morning until midnight, as we know the famous adage “Land of the midnight sun” supports the fact. During winters, many regions are concealed in perennial darkness. A person without cultural and geographical context may distort the sense of time. But many series and movies resolve this issue with their writing, keeping the global viewers in mind.

The characters’ background is well established. They stay alert and out of their family’s lives for quite a long time, tacking up mugshots, frightful and gory crime location photographs, and writing over maps on a white noticeboard and newspaper cuttings polaroids. Their judgment debilitates and becomes more intense as they lose rest and viewpoint. Wethe miserable binge-watchers who stay alert until quite a bit later with them are sucked right into their rough circle in the long run.

A blood-splattered crime location recounts a basic story of wrongdoing of power; however, the intense, grim subtleties enlighten a more extravagant, thornier history. Humble lawbreakers are the detectives’ primary suspects; however, just until the criminal investigators uncover declaration and burner call records that highlight an all the more high-idea activity.

Some of the well-known Nordic noirs authors are from Scandinavian countries like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Some of the well-acclaimed authors include Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson and Camilla Läckberg, Jussi Adler-Olsen, ArnaldurIndriðason and many more. The popularity of Nordic noir has extended to the screen, with TV series and movies such as The Killing, The Bridge, Trapped, Bordertown and The girl with the dragon tattoo.

There are some original works like The Chestnut man, The Valhalla Murders, Deadwind, Trapped, Equinox, The Hunt and many more.

They are currently streaming on Netflix, Hotstar, Hulu, and Amazon Prime if you want to dive into the genre. You might want to turn off your lights,