A underhållningsserie of an earthquake, as retold in the form of a rättegångsdrama, feels right in a precarious position. Charging around school shootings is huge – as well as the fear of what the fictional depictions can put in the time. Rättegångsdramatik in turn requires very much esprit, in order to not become woody and predictable.
The first Swedish Netflixserien ”Greatest of all”, based on Malin Persson Giolitos restrained överklasstragedi with the same title, it still succeeds in a surprisingly good way breathe together these two difficult themes.
the Premise is as simple as it is nightmarish. The 18-year-old Djursholmstjejen Maja apprehended in a classroom, bloody and with krutstänk on the arms. Her teachers and classmates – including her boyfriend Sebastian – lies shot on the floor.
Those who read the book will recognize themselves. While the trial against Maja is prepared, we get, in a long series of recaps, find out how it really came to pass that she ended up in solitary confinement at the detention centre. Perhaps the least likely place in the world for someone in her position: the typical good girl, shy, safe family, a solid upper-middle class residents in Stockholm’s wealthiest suburb, and so on.
Read the DN’s interviews about ”Greatest of all”
”the Greatest of all” abstain from basically all forms of våldsbejakande sensationslystnad, which of course is smart. It visually artless narrative feels inspired by the tv-the world’s true crime-wave. The low-key realism stands in interesting contrast to the parts of the story that unfolds in the upper class: huge sekelskiftesvillor with the American Tin-the shivering, the vacations on luxury yachts in the Mediterranean, teenagers with backslick as the knobs vrålåk to school, weekendtripper to familjegods, hunting south Africa…
In the genre are överklassmiljöer maybe not so unusual but in the Swedish thrillerserier shine by their absence, which undeniably brings a real novelty to the ”Greatest of all”.
A key to the book’s success is, of course, Malin Persson Giolito, place the black drama in such an environment. But also for the fact that she portrays it with such a merciless gaze; a partially ice-cold society where adults hypnotiseras of power and status. A place where the fragile youth left alone with money and drugs but without someone who can see that they feel bad. All of that underlines the series in an even clearer way than the book. The segregation is also a theme, but explored a little more cheep.
for six hours is Hanna notice of attendance, previously seen in ”30 degrees in February”. She may be this year’s brakgenombrott with the role of the riddler Maja, a person with a ”before” and ”after” which is incredibly far from each other.
But the notice of attendance manage to cast in the various pages of one so intensely present that it ruptured berättarstrukturen really works. She makes the innocent, naive and nyförälskade the student as well as the disenchanted and turned off the prisoner trapped in a real nightmare.
Felix sandman’s warm-up decadent Sebastian is a bit more typig with slyngelbeteende and violent klassförakt. A kind of awkward Gatsby–figure who enchants the world with a generous parties but begging for love at the only place where he can’t get it. The adult world depicted with few exceptions, a little square, either people are evil or some stupid. Förhörsscenerna is at least credible, but David Denciks stjärnadvokat is, however, convincing enough. Marall Nasiri lights up in a nice little role as a human häktesvakt and author Malin Persson Giolito makes a small cameo in the beginning of the series that is very entertaining.
”the Greatest of all” lodar is not in some psychological depth, but is sufficiently sharp, nasty, well constructed and cleverly written to not be able to stop watching.
