River

Perhaps no other detective story is as sad as the six-part River series, even when you take into account the beautiful catchy song full of optimism, to which Stellan Skarsgård and Nicola Walker end up dancing. There is probably no point in mentioning the individual performances of the actors because they were mostly sensational. Of course, everyone can probably guess who stood out the most. (80%) (12/21/2021)

It's a kind of madness. An intimate melancholic psycho depression about coping with loss and involvement (or pretending that you belong) into society when you suffer from a mental disorder, by immersing yourself in the depths of the madness that will comfort you and work (yes, solving cases, which is typical for this genre), which more than skillfully combines the best of Nordic noir and British social drama. Praise to the masterfully minimalist, but captivating, empathetic Skarsgård River is perfectly justified, although (not only) Nicola Walker can keep up more than well. Which, of course, can hardly surprises anyone. In fact, It's all about the characters, because the detective line is kind of sidelined. The characters are both well-written and well-played, which will be clearly seen in the final episode, whose strength is based on the impact on the personal level rather than on the twists and turns in the crime line. The BBC simply proves once again (how many times already?) that the playful and clichéd genre theme "a genius detective torn apart by inner demons with ruined personal life" can still be portrayed in a unique way. And in a damn good quality; above all. | S1: 5/5 | (10/28/2015)

I needed a moment to collect myself after finishing this mini-series before I could even think about writing a review. For the second time this year, I encountered a detective story with an original premise and a truly inventive approach to the investigation. Six episodes were all it took for me to completely fall for Stellan Skarsgård as River. My heart broke for him throughout the entire series. It was clear that this murder was anything but straightforward. His psychological unraveling was intense, and the final episode hit me hard — it's the kind of ending filled with sadness and love that stays with you long after the credits roll. (12/19/2021)