User Reviews

Excellent drama doc with great cast and script based on true story. Thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend.

In Sweden, the horrific muder of a young girl in the 1980s took almost 20 years to solve. Other murders (just one of which proved to be linked) and departmental politics obstructred progress; but one thing that 'The Hunt of a Killer', a dramatisation of the police investigation, shows is just how difficult it can be to find the evidence needed to close a case. It's an unmelodramatic reconstruction, and in many ways a depressing one: the killer was a lone actor and societal misfit, whose behaviour was alarming in many respects but which went unchecked while his darkest deeds remained hidden. As at a least a semi-normal person, it's horrifying to see what human beings are capable of if allowed to go far enough wrong.

Looten Roos character sure enjoys quiet sips of tea/coffee.

Overall its a bit slow and could've been told in half the time. Know i will try an achieve my 150 character requirements.

This six part series tells the real life story of the hunt to catch the murderer of ten year old Helen Nilsson. The officer place in charge of the investigation has no experience of murder cases and makes little progress as his team is flooded with information from members of the public reporting every slightly odd person in the area. Experienced investigator Per-Åke Åkesson is keen to be given the case but those in charge refuse his request. As he notices similarities with other crimes he starts running a parallel unofficial investigation alongside Monica Olhed and another officer. Years pass and still the police are no closer to the killer; to make things worse Per-Åke's bosses seem more interested in form filling than crime solving.

I found this to be a gripping series; it shows how different things are in reality to fictional crime drama... a serious case runs for years and years without serious suspects emerging and the petty bureaucracy which expects police to plan a year in advance despite the nature of crime making that ludicrous. Unlike fiction every new murder is a very real tragedy. The cast do a really good job giving realistic understated performances. Overall an impressive series; definitely worth watching even if it is quite depressing at times.

These comments are based on watching the series in Swedish with English subtitles.

Melancholic & methodical. Slow & non-spectacular. The objective, slow-panning camera tells the bleak True Crime-story masterfully.

This Swedish miniseries was another show that appeared on the Guardian's top 50 shows of 2021. The review likened it to the Netflix show "Manhunter" comparisons to which I can see in tone and theme, if not perhaps quite as much quality.

In a small Swedish town, a ten-year-old girl is kidnapped and murdered. The case would remain unsolved for 16 years but was maintained by senior investigator Per-Ake Akeesson (Anders Beckman), alongside Monica Olhed (Looten Roos) and Erik Johansson (Hakan Bengtsson), who investigate without the support, and occasionally against the instruction, of their supervisors. Though there would be successes along the way, ultimately it would take technological advances to reach the conclusion.

It's like "Manhunter" because it focuses on the investigators throughout, including insights into their home lives and backgrounds, as well as the politics of their police department. It's not quite got the same scope as "Manhunter" though as, though we take detours into several other cases, the central murder of the child is never far from focus. As it's a recreation of a real case, there's a dark melancholy to the whole thing. It's supported by a grim view of this part of Sweden. Though it starts in 1989 and runs through to 2004, Sweden seems to consistently reflect either the UK in the 70's, or rural Alabama. Only a tremendously relatable series of scenes about management culture give it much in the way of modern context. It also seems like literally every suspect they talk about, even not for the central case, has a history of sexually abusing children. I don't want to risk looking online for true information about it, but the show gives the impression that there is rather a blasé attitude to these sorts of offences in Sweden.

It's tough to come out and say that I enjoyed this - the subject matter and the imagery make that difficult. But I appreciated that the performances were good, and the case interesting and varied enough to justify the investment.

This is far by the best Swedish Police series, about true crimes. Please make season 2, season 3...it's very good to evertbody to remember these victims and cases. The reality must be seen. People have to learn to take more precaution now days. Thanks for this series. RIP to all the victims. 🌹

This serie had a good script and story, but thats it. The acting where horible and alot of mistakes was in The series.

Best Swedish crime serie I have ever seen. So real and intense in slow Scandinavian way. I hope the last episode is going to be good as the whole serie have been. Just excellent.

For such an understated production this drama had me absorbed by every episode. The whole feel and look was from the time the drama was set (1989-2004) and the unfamiliar ensemble added to to the authenticity. There are no subplots, it is just police work, illustrating the difficulty and frustrations of the job. The seedy side of life and the way some people live was cleverly filmed by getting the point across without having to be too graphic. It is all the better for being based on real events, so there are no plot holes and inconsistencies that seem to be prevalent in dramas these days.

... but the tricksy presentation made it difficult to sort out interweaving time frames and overlapping investigations. Eventually we gave up about half way through.

But that may be more of a comment on us than anything else!

I am not one to give a 10 . But it cannot be anything less. All actors are good, no, great. And It's just the way it was at the time. Scary to see all the incompetence within the police, and the envy of those good cops from the mediocre. All the ridicolus blue tape. I guess it was about this time Swedish police startet going downhill. Today they solve 10% of murders. Against 90% in the neighbouring countries.

It's very scary, because it could happen to me. In my house.

I don't usually review on one episode. This show I think could be a real game changer for Nordic Noir and maybe just maybe influence series to come. We have all seen the greats and classics over the last 15 years. . But the way this is filmed and written takes you back to the period from where the true story came. Lot's of really unusual direction and camera shots, with a vidio/super 8 feel. And a cast full of un familiar faces delivering the kind of performance that totally engaged me. Enjoy...

I was gripped by this excellent drama series. It is brilliantly made , and acted . Of course , the subject of the story is unfortunately true, and that adds to the mood and atmosphere throughout.

I could sense the determination of the team , as they persisted over time to bring the monster responsible to justice.

A truly great production, providing a realistic insight into the harsh reality of solving terrible murders .

Realistic. A bit depressing, but well done. In Sweden (Ep.3, 17 min mark), 2 detectives chasing predators visit an elderly male counsellor. He shows them 3 normal looking male 'patients'. All are serious offenders-all 3 want to stop. 'They can't stop', says the counsellor gloomily.

Eventually (years later) DNA technology catches up to the correct predator. Scary. Not a cheery Hollywood style or ending. Great for true crime buffs.

Great series.. loved it. This is not an action shoot em up thriller but an example of good solid police work.

An exceptionally fine drama that looks like a documentary. It feels like we're just eavesdropping on police detectives as they try to solve murders. Their focus on and off is the murder of ten year old Helen Nilsson.

The terrible police work initially done in this case reminded me of the Olaf Palme murder case. Netflix's "The Unlikely Murderer" documents the many investigations and screw ups in that case where ultimately no one was arrested or convicted of that crime.

And the office politics and domination by HR is easy to believe. The Swedish Police aren't Wallander or Beck or Arnie Dahl, those are works of fiction. Other than Pelle and his team, they look rather clownish.

It's long but well worth watching.

I was left greatly confused. Was this the methodical procedural drama it purported to be. Or were the writers playing games with the audience, sprinkling it with clues and red herrings?

When the perpetrators are initially seen, invariably in shadowy rear views, they are clearly identifiable long before the 'reveals' in the course of the story.

And did I miss where the car used in the abduction was located and brought in for forensic investigation, presumably without revealing its ownership?

If that never occurred, was it a deliberate red herring or a filming blooper to have it sitting in the police station carpark at the end of Episode 4?

Being unsure whether I was viewing a drama, or taking part in a game, distracted from the enjoyment of an otherwise excellent production.

I must admit, I'm usually lazy and scroll past the shows that aren't in English but liked the sound of this and even more so with it being a true story.

Acting and script brilliant, storyline and execution superb. I was rooting for the 3 main detectives and cursing many others, shocking the lack of support they received and how others took the credit for their hard work. Very dark and disturbing but that is the true nature of the events that occurred to the real life victims.

Really enjoyed this series, well done.

This was a tightly written and well acted series. Amazing how many deviants could live in one area at one time. Well worth watching. Given that it is based on factual events it is all the more interesting.

This is just another in a string of EXCELLENT dramas out of Sweden.

The acting is perfect and the plot, although twisted and decidedly convoluted, is quite easy to follow.. The scenery is lovely and the music is perfect for this BLACK police drama.

All in all, it is one of the best mini-series I have seen in years and I highly recommend it.

If you're looking for a happy ending it may not suit you but if you want a decidedly NOIR drama, complete with perfectly-suited atmospheric music, this is right on the money.

This is a pedantic "no frills" police procedural reminiscent of Efterforskningen without the atmospherics.

There's a minimal number of subplots. Unlike other crime melodramas, none of the subplots lead away from the main plot.

You either enjoy this type of realistic presentation or you don't. Although there's some sexuality, it's minor and related to the crime rather than the recreational activities of the investigators.

An important element is the obstructionist bureaucracy that consistently thwarts the investigators and then takes credit for their successful results.

The problem I have with this series and Efterforskningen is, the filmmakers injected a higher burden of proof than what's required in the real world. Both films imply prosecutors must formulate the perfect case before they go to trial. That just doesn't happen in real life. There is neither the time nor money nor do the prosecutors themselves have the patience to formulate perfect cases.

Both this series and Efterforskningen should have ended at least 1 episode sooner. Expect to enjoy most of this series while the last two episodes will try your patience.