If the Netflix Norwegian crime thriller series “Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole” had been packaged into five or even six episodes, it might well have been masterful. Stretched over nine long chapters and stuffed with a dizzying array of subplots, the production stalls a bit in the middle and occasionally turns down some side roads that result in dead ends—but it’s still an effectively grisly and beautifully mounted effort, with superb performances from the ensemble cast.
About that title. If you’re a fan of the suitable-for-adaptation fiction known as Nordic noir, e.g., Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” series (which became “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” film trilogy), the Kurt Wallander novels, et al., you’re no doubt familiar with the works of Jo Nesbø, whose books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. The emotionally tormented Oslo police detective Harry Hole (pronounced “HAH-ree, HOO-leh”) has been at the center of more than a dozen Nesbø novels. Michael Fassbender portrayed Hole in the disappointingly underwhelming 2017 film “The Snowman,” which was plagued by production problems.
Nesbø is the creator and writer of what appears to be the first season of “Detective Hole” (it ends on a terrific cliffhanger), with the fifth novel in the Harry Hole series, “The Devil’s Star,” as the primary source material. A perfectly cast Tobias Santelmann delivers electric work as the brilliant but brooding, self-destructive Hole, who seems more comfortable at a crime scene than he does having a cup of coffee with a friend, while Joel Kinnaman is equal to the task as Hole’s police colleague, the ambitious and chillingly duplicitous Tom Waaler.
Also contributing greatly to that Nordic noir vibe: the use of dozens upon dozens of iconic Oslo locations, showcasing both the brightest and most lush as well as the dark and trash-lined underbelly of the city; a steady, blood-spattered stream of gruesome kills; and a typically effective and atmospheric score from the famed duo of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (“Hell or High Water,” “Wind River,” “Blonde”).
After an expertly filmed and shocking chase scene that opens the series, we fast forward some five years to the present day. Harry is still obsessing over the unsolved bank heist that precipitated that chase sequence, but he’s in a relatively good place. He has a strong bond with his likable, free-spirited partner, Ellen (wonderfully played by Ingrid Bolsø Berdal). He’s been sober for a healthy stretch of time. And he’s in a promising relationship with a single mother named Rakel (Pia Tjelta, outstanding)—though it’s going to take some effort for Harry to break through to Rakel’s adolescent son, Oleg (Maxime Baune Bochud).
Still, things are already beginning to unravel, both in Oslo and in Harry’s world. Rival gangs are bringing an unprecedented level of firepower to their turf wars. Harry has suspicions about the high-ranking Waaler, who flaunts his wealth (he makes a half-hearted claim about some kind of inheritance) and exudes menace even when he smiles in your direction. The body count starts to pile up, and it appears some of the murders are the work of a serial killer who leaves a trademark red diamond with his victims. (We don’t see the killer, but we hear his voice, in Swedish, repeating the same mantra: “Open your eyes. It’s a simple pattern. A red guiding star, a five-pointed devil’s cross, will show you the way.”)
We’re introduced to a green but promising journalist (Kelly Gale, doing what she can with an underwritten role) who is assigned to cover an unsolved murder case. Harry is haunted by nightmares in which the bloodied victims come to life. The great Peter Stormare enters the picture as a gang leader. We are treated to needle drops such as Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” and Wovenhand’s cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” A man who wears a clerical collar is having a clandestine love affair in Prague and may or may not be up to something nefarious.
You can see what I mean about the “overstuffed” thing. Swirling close-ups of fountains and sculptures reflect the series’ twisted funhouse-mirror atmosphere. An oppressive heat wave magnifies the escalating gang wars, while the night is often bathed in cleansing, heavy rains. This series vibrates with mood. Strong female characters abound in supporting roles, but at its heart, this is a hard-boiled two-hander pitting Santelmann’s flawed but redeemable Harry against Kinnaman’s complex and icily efficient Tom, who truly believes the end justifies the means. If “Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole” continues (there’s certainly a wealth of material to be mined from the novels), it could upgrade from good to great if it goes a bit leaner, a bit more focused. All the pieces are in place.
Whole season screened for review. Currently streaming on Netflix.
