Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, History
Actor: Ania Sowinski, Anthony Chisholm, Aria DeMaris, Christopher Walken, Daniel Ings, Daniel Westwood, Daz Black, Dexter Fletcher, Dickon Tolson, Edvin Endre, Graham Fletcher-Cook, Hugh Jackman, Iris Berben, Jessica Allain, Jim Broadbent, Jo Hartley, Joachim Raaf, Jozef Aoki, Keith Allen, Mads Sjogard Pettersen, Marc Benjamin, Mark Benton, Matt Rippy, Rune Temte, Taron Egerton, Tim McInnerny, Tom Costello
Director: Dexter Fletcher
This Homeland-style mini-series is about a Norwegian soldier who returns home from Afghanistan and finds himself tangled in a web of questionable global politics.
Like most Norwegian series on the topic, and there have been quite a few lately, the production value struggles to match Hollywood shows. But paying that small price will get you an abundance of sharp dialogue and a nuanced thriller.
Genre: Thriller
Actor: Aksel Hennie, Anders Danielsen Lie, Atheer Adel, Ayesha Wolasmal, Christian Rubeck, Danica Curcic, Dennis Storhøi, Dennis Storhoi, Eirik Evjen, Hallvard Holmen, Kyrre Hellum, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Mads Sjogard Pettersen, Mattis Herman Nyquist, Mohammad-Ali Behboudi, Odd Magnus Williamson, Ramin Yazdani, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Runar Holmstroem, Samuel Froler, Tuva Novotny
Christmas is a common setting for romance stories, because it’s obviously the best time to warm up… if you know what we mean. (Warm drinks, sweet treats, and snuggling with loved ones, of course.) Christmas as Usual seems to go along that vein, as Thea brings home her fiancé Jashan to meet the parents, and he tries to impress her family, as these family Christmas romances tend to go. This obviously brings about the relatable romantic troubles that anyone can empathize with, so it’s a bit of a shock when Thea’s Norwegian family treats Jashan so badly that it seems more insidious than good ol’ concern over their daughter. Had the story been approached with more sensitivity, Christmas as Usual would have been outstanding, but its current version never really questions the racism of the Norwegian family, or the passive way Thea just lets it all happen.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Ida Ursin-Holm, Jonas Strand Gravli, Kanan Gill, Mads Sjogard Pettersen, Marit Andreassen, Veslemøy Mørkrid
Director: Petter Holmsen