Trapped is a hot Nordic-Noir about riveting crime drama from Iceland. This Icelandic show delves into the lives of people living in a remote town located near the Arctic Circle.
Now, imagine a cold-blooded killer is on the loose in this little city. All this while the tourists and town folks are cornered in such a place with no escape routes with heavy snow covering the entire landscape of the said town. That is the crux of the story of the first season of this crime drama.
Focus:- brief on the Nordic/Scandi/Scandinavian – Noir
Before we delve any further into the details of the “Trapped” series, allow us to explain the Nordic Noir briefly. Well according to the Nordics: “The Nordic Noir is most often considered to be a specific genre of TV series. However, it also includes literature, film productions, and video games. Besides, it has even been extended to style, design, and music. Its key elements include a murky atmosphere, dark narratives, and flawed protagonists.
Its popularity may lie in the fact that it usually undercuts the dominant narrative of the Nordics as thriving states with happy people and successful economies, but there is a dark underbelly here, too.” The Nordic Noir genre is also known as Scandinavian Noir or Scandi Noir, as it is set in the Nordic or Scandinavian countries of Europe. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland Islands are part of the Nordic Region.
Trailer of the Trapped (Season 1/2015-2016) Series
Synopsis of the Trapped (Season 1/2015-2016) Series
As a small ship carrying 300 passengers from Denmark pulls into an Icelandic town’s small port, heavy snow begins to fall. So, the said ship can’t leave until the snowstorm stops. Also, the only road into town is closed because of heavy snow. Then, a mutilated and dismembered body of an unidentifiable man washes on the shore; apparently, he was murdered only a few hours ago.
The local police chief – Andri Olafssun (played by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), and a small police team confront the reality that a killer has entered their small town. As word spreads, order disintegrates into chaos as the ferry’s passengers and the town’s residents realize they are all possible suspects. All these folks are trapped with a killer in the small town in that snowy winter season.
Spoilers Free Review of the Trapped (S1/2015-2016) Series
The introduction
Season one of this series made us feel cold, anxious, tense and claustrophobic. Equally important, the rugged icy landscape and the wintry season of Iceland play important roles in this series. Furthermore, the snowstorms and the avalanches only make matters worse for the ordinary town folks. They were caught in a modest-sized township with an unknown murderer (s) let loose in their midst.
Baltasar Kormákur's television show Ófærð (Trapped) was predominantly filmed in Siglufjörður, with only a handful of outdoor scenes being captured in the Eastfjords and Reykjavík.
About Iceland – the setting of this crime mystery
Iceland nation is also known as ‘The Land of Fire and Ice‘ due to its contrasting landscapes – volcanoes and glaciers. However, in season one of this series, we (the viewers) are exposed only to the snow-laden town and icy cold water, as it was filmed in real locations featuring predominantly real snow. And this geographical setup only added to the general feelings of being trapped with no escape in sight.
Being trapped
In this show, among most of the residents of this small town, there is a heightened sense of being trapped. Besides, the remote location of the town, the prevailing cold winter weather situations and icy conditions contribute to the said feeling. In addition, no help of any kind can arrive from Reykjavik. So, everyone is anxious and afraid of the killers’ presence in this small town. And in this place, there is no way to escape. So, everyone is trapped.
The conclusion
All the actors, including its towering lead actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Andri), have done a great job. All in all, it is a good crime drama, that demands our unwavering attention because of its less-heard Icelandic language, and the English subtitles. In the end, when the killers were caught, we all felt relieved. We were no longer trapped. It was a tension-filled but thrilling crime mystery from Iceland.
Ratings of this Nordic-Noir from Iceland
| FM’s rating | 4.00/5 |
| Rotten Tomatoes ratings as of the date | 100% Tomatometer & 95% Audience Score |
Spoilers Alert – episode summary of this Nordic-Noir from Iceland
A peek into the Ten (10) Episodes of its First (2016) Season
First (S1, E1) Episode
A dismembered body is found in the river, sparking an investigation and a call to Reykjavik for detective reinforcements to assist the small local police force.
Second (S1, E2) Episode
With no police support able to arrive from Reykjavik until the snowstorm clears, Andri and his colleagues need to work fast.
Third (S1, E3) Episode
The town is still cut off from all help by snowstorms and pack ice, and the local police have somehow managed to lose both the victim’s body and the only suspect.
Fourth (S1, E4) Episode
With the murderer still at large, unrest is beginning to grow among the still-trapped townspeople and tourists. The police’s list of potential suspects is becoming larger, but with discontent growing and the looming threat of an avalanche above the town, they face a race against time to unravel the mystery.
Fifth (S1, E5) Episode
An avalanche has caused a total blackout, and in the darkness, everyone is anxious and afraid.
Sixth (S1, E6) Episode
Uneasy and agitated, the townspeople gather in the church demanding answers as police chief Andri questions how much he should tell them.
Seventh (S1, E7) Episode
With the weather finally improving, the investigation team from Reykjavik arrives and gets a confession to both murders.
Eight (S1, E8) Episode
Captain Carlsen agrees to work with the police; on the ferry, one crew member is wanted by police all over Europe.
Ninth (S1, E9) Episode
Andri finds a key that could have serious implications for his whole family.
Tenth (S1, E10) Episode
Andri and Hinrika obtain a confession to the murder of Geirmundur Jansson, and there’s more to it than anyone expected.
Poster of the Trapped (S1/2015-2016) Series
Key Details about the Trapped (S1/2015-2016) Series
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Original language | Icelandic |
| Original title | Ófærð (in Icelandic) – means “unable to move” |
| Released | December 27, 2015 |
| Season | First (1st) |
| Episodes | Ten (Episodes) |
| Creator | Baltasar Kormákur |
| Cast | Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson |
| Network | Netflix |
Trapped series has two more seasons – the second season (2018-2019) with ten episodes and the third season (2022) with eight episodes. We have yet to watch these two seasons, so we shall post the articles about these two seasons at a later date.
Note from Team FM
Awards won by the Trapped (S1/2015-2016) Series
| Names of the Awards | Winners of the Awards |
|---|---|
| Edda Awards, Iceland – 2016 | Television Drama/Comedy of the Year (Skemmtiþáttur ársins) – Winner Edda Award Best Music (Tónlist í kvikmynd/sjónvarpi) – Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Rutger Hoedemaekers – Winner Edda Award |
| Prix Europa, 2016 | Winner Prix Europa – Best Episode of a TV Fiction Series or Serial – Baltasar Kormákur (producer/director) |
| Writers’ Guild of Great Britain – 2017 | Best Long Form TV Drama – Clive Bradley – Winner Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award |
You can also read FM articles about a few more Nordic Noir series:- The Killing, The Bridge, and Borgen
Featured & Other Images: Trapped | IMDb.
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