Political

Kandidaten: not all Scandinavian thrillers ooze quality, but they can still be fun

Nikolaj Lie Kass in KandidatenKandidaten, the 2008 thriller featuring a lawyer investigating the death of his father, has many of the standard elements of the Norodic Noir wave that has been so popular in the Britain in the last few years. Handsome lead? Check. High quality acting? Check. Very few special effects? Check. Low key but atmospheric music? Check. Subtitles? Check.

Kandidaten - DVD box coverWhere it goes off piste is the massively implausible plot. The central idea is a decent, if unoriginal one, but the story relies on a series of coincidences that make the investigation into the death less a piece of detective work and more a matter of wandering around Denmark waiting for the next coincidence to occur.

The pace and twists keep it enjoyable, but this is one for a bit of brief light entertainment and no more.

If you like this, you might also be interested in the great Danish political thriller King’s Game.

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Buy Kandidaten here.

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