By Will Barber Taylor

Modus follows criminal psychologist and ex FBI profiler Inger Johanne Wilk (Melinda Kinnaman) as she finds herself and her autistic daughter drawn into an investigation surrounding a series of disturbing and brutal deaths in Stockholm, Sweden.

Together with detective Ingvar Nymann (Henrik Norlen), Inger Johanne uncovers clues to these shocking crimes. As the number of mysterious murders starts to increase, Inger Johanne starts noticing a pattern. However, the discovery of the killer’s weakness and the connection to a ruthless international network unintentionally turns the entire threats towards Inger Johanne and her family.

Based on the crime novels by bestselling author Anne Holt and produced by the producers of The Bridge, Modus is a tense, atmospheric crime series that raises questions about religion, human rights and the very nature of love itself.

Like other series I have reviewed from Nordic Noir and Beyond, Modus mixes the beautiful landscape of European countries (namely Sweden) and injects an intoxicating storyline to make the hairs on the back of any audiences’ neck stand up. What makes Modus different is not the brilliance of the script or the wonderful cinematography but the mixing of the European and American culture. Most series tend to focus on the crime in Europe without linking it to American culture. The brilliant collision between European and American culture helps to make Modus stand out amongst similar crime drama series.

The performances by the main cast are equally viewer inducing. Melinda Kinnaman gives a stunning central performance as Inger Johanne Vik – her dedication to finding the serial killer she is stalking whilst also caring for her children. Kinnanman presents a strong woman who deals with her daughter’s autism whilst also dealing with the crime that is afflicting the lives of so many. Kinnanman perfectly portrays Vik’s forensic side as well as her caring side; this combined with her lively relationship with Ingvar Nymann (played expertly by Henrik Norlen) lets the series excel to its full dramatic potential.

Overall, Modus is an exhilarating and thrilling drama series which combines beautiful cinematography, an exciting story and wonderful performances by the cast to provide a brilliant and innovative new look at international crime fighting.

With thanks to Nordic Noir and Beyond. You can purchase Modus from them here.