Available Soon/Now: ‘Arctic Circle,’ ‘The Deceit,’ ‘The Bridge,’ ‘The Killing,’ ‘A Piece of My Heart,’ and ‘Pagan Peak’

Coming soon or available now to Topic streaming service are the best in Euro noir: Arctic Circle seasons 1 and 2, Deceit, The Bridge, The Killing, A Piece of My Heart, and Pagan Peak seasons 1 and 2.

Arctic Circle – Starring Iina Kuustonen (Syke: Hatatila), Maxim Busel (The Hero), and Phihla Viitala (Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters).

Synopsis:

In season 1, Nina Kautsalo, a Finnish police officer, finds a dying prostitute in an old cabin in the wilderness, the ensuing criminal investigation takes a surprise twist when a deadly virus is discovered in her blood. Nina suddenly finds herself in the middle of an exceedingly unusual criminal investigation. In season 2 Nina joins a new police unit in order to solve the mystery of an international hunting society. It’s tied to an old murder case, to which Nina has a surprising connection. Season 1 is available now, and Season 2 will be available on March 17, 2022.

Deceit – Starring Niamh Algar (Censor), Eddie Marsan (Vera Drake), Sion Daniel Young (The Left Behind), and Harry Treadaway (Honeymoon).

Synopsis:

Five months on from the brutal murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common and the Met Police are still no closer to capturing the man they’re convinced is responsible. First identified through a television appeal, the evidence is stacked against Colin Stagg. The media feed a national obsession, covering every detail of the case and demanding justice. The police are determined to catch the man who, in their eyes, is guilty before he kills again. In desperation, the relatively young detective inspector leading the case, engages the nation’s most famous criminal pro?ler to devise a bold undercover operation which will see an attractive, young female officer start a relationship with Colin Stagg.

The Bridge – Starring Sofia Helin (The Snowman), Rafael Pettersson (Origin), Sarah Boberg (The Escape), and Dag Malmberg (A Taste of Hunger).

Synopsis:

A woman is found murdered in the middle of the Øresund Bridge – right on the border between Sweden and Denmark. The Swedish and Danish police are called to the scene. What at first looks like one murder, turns out to be two. The bodies have been brutally cut in half at the waist and put together to form a single corpse. This spectacular double murder is just the beginning of a wave of violence the like of which no one has ever seen before. The Swedish and Danish police find themselves in a race against the clock in a deadly showdown with a superior enemy, where no one will be the same when it’s over.

The Killing – Starring Sofie Grabel (Rose), Morten Suurballe (Vikings TV Series) , and Lars Mikkelsen (The Venus Effect).

Synopsis:

The brutal murder of a young girl launches an extended police investigation. Detective Sarah Lund is supposed to leave for a new life in Sweden but can’t bring herself to leave the case behind. The girl’s parents and friends struggle to cope with their loss. Troels Hartmann is campaigning to be mayor of Copenhagen but struggles when links are revealed between city hall and the murder. Over a time, span of twenty days, suspect upon suspect is sought out as violence and political pressures cast their shadows over the hunt for the killer. Two more seasons follow about a series of killings of soldiers and the abduction of an industrial magnate’s daughter.

A Piece of My Heart – Starring Lotta Lehtikari (Time Out), Niina Kopenen (Karuselli TV Series), and Martin Bahne (Korso).

Synopsis:

In Helsinki, child protection agents Rita and Laura work tirelessly to protect children from recurrent trauma. A case becomes personal when it forces Rita to face her own disturbing childhood while Laura struggles to find work-life balance.

Pagan Peak – Starring Julia Jentsch (Sophie Scholl), Nichlas Ofczarek (Confessions of Felix Krull), and Franz Harwig (A Most Wanted Man). Season 1 is available now. Season 2 is available May 12, 2022.

Synopsis:

When a gruesomely staged body is found, propped up on a mountain pass in the Alps close to the German-Austrian border, two detectives are sent to investigate. For German detective Ellie, this is the first real challenge of her career; her Austrian counterpart Gedeon though seems to have lost any ambitions in his job. Very soon, they discover more crime scenes with symbolically posed victims, reminiscent of pagan rituals. It all seems to be part of a bigger, sinister plan.