Trapped Show is an Icelandic series, that explores the lives of people living in a small town of Iceland, which is located near the icy cold 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 this series.
Table of Contents
Focus on Nordic/Scandi/Scandinavian – Noir
Before we delve any further into the details of the “Borgen” series, allow me 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.
Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- details
Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
Original title | Ófærð (in Icelandic) – means “unable to move” |
Creator | Baltasar Kormákur |
Cast | Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson |
Awards | Edda Awards, Iceland – 2016 Winner Edda Award – Television Drama/Comedy of the Year (Skemmtiþáttur ársins) Edda Awards, Iceland – 2016 Winner Edda Award – Best Music (Tónlist í kvikmynd/sjónvarpi) – Jóhann JóhannssonHildur GuðnadóttirRutger Hoedemaekers 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 Winner Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award – Best Long Form TV Drama – Clive Bradley |
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
Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- synopsis
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.
Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- {Spoilers Free} review
Season one of this series made us feel cold, anxious, tense and claustrophobic. The rugged icy landscape and the wintry season of Iceland play important roles in this series. The snowstorms and the avalanches only make matters worse for the ordinary folks caught in a modest-sized township with an unknown murderer (s) let loose in their midst.
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.
Also, because of the prevailing weather situations and icy conditions, no help of any kind is able to arrive from Reykjavik. So, everyone is anxious and afraid of the killers’ presence in this small town.
All the actors including its lead actors have done a good job. All in all, it is a good crime drama, that demands our unwavering attention because of the subtitles, but in the end, when the killers are caught, I felt relieved.
Watch Trapped to experience the thrilling crime mystery.
Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- poster

Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- ratings
FM’s rating | 4.05/5 |
IMDb rating as of the date | 7.71/10 |
Rotten Tomatoes ratings as of the date | 100% Tomatometer & 95% Audience Score |
Scott Beggs / Rotten Tomatoes | It demands attention but be warned that if you watch the first episode, you’re as good as committing another nine binge-style hours of your life to it. |
Trapped (S1/2016) Series:- trailer
You can also read FM articles about a few more Nordic Noir series:–
- The Killing: A Must-Watch Nordic Noir From Danes
- The Bridge: Superb Nordic Noir From Danes/Swedes
- Borgen: Refreshing Political Drama From Denmark
Featured & Other Images: Trapped | IMDb.