Snöänglar (2021)

Snow Angels is an excellent Swedish-Danish social drama with thriller elements. Five-week-old baby Lucas disappears the day before Christmas while a snowstorm rages in Stockholm. Not only does it result in an exciting search for the baby and the perpetrator, we also get to know the naive Swedish healthcare system, where no one seems to take responsibility. And we are not happy about that. Addiction, poverty, neglect and crime; this is an intense, chilly, dark and at times hair-raising series. Also emphasized because many scenes were filmed in natural light.

The Danish screenwriter Mette Heeno focuses on a number of women: Lucas' mother, her mother/grandmother, a social worker and a detective investigating the disappearance. All women are, in one way or another, associated with the theme of motherhood.

The men on duty are sick, weak, or suckers. Fortunately, this is only the case in Sweden. Snow Angels is primarily a character study starring Josefin Asplund, as Lucas' mother. Asplund acts with much more substance and expressiveness than her flat acting in Top Dog. Her deaf daughter is played by Nikole Baronas. And while this role is small and understated, her facial expression is phenomenal and says it all. Snow Angels is a fascinating, layered and gloomy drama. Väldigt!

Translated from Dutch · View original

The summary of this series is spoken literally at the beginning by one of the characters: 'some women should not be allowed to become mothers'. In addition to the main story about the disappearance of baby Lucas, this series revolves around two other babies: Rose and Sofie. Each and every one of them are intense stories that are portrayed by an excellent cast that includes many familiar faces from other Swedish crime series. On a number of points this series is just as unlikely as other Swedish series; for example, a suspended policewoman who goes on a solo tour. The abrupt ending is also a missed opportunity. Nevertheless, the whole still has the well-known Scandinavian quality, remains fascinating and even occasionally exciting.

Translated from Dutch · View original