Review by David Paul Hellings
@HellingsOnFilm
“In recent months, Nordic Noir & Beyond has continued to grow from strength to strength as market leaders in releasing world class European TV shows to a wider audience. Following the success of The Bridge III, River and most recently Trapped, their dominance in the Euro-crime sector continues to help secure them as the No.1 Distributor of International TV series within the UK. As 2016 continues, Nordic Noir and Beyond are thrilled to announce the release of the cult Vampire hit, Heartless, which arrives on DVD from 18th April 2016.
A beautiful supernatural thriller set in an elite Danish boarding school. Twins Sofie and Sebastian (Sebastian Jessen and Julie Zangenberg, “Borgen) are no ordinary students. They were born with a curse and carry a dark and fatal secret: in order to live, they need to suck the energy out of other people. However, if they don’t stop in time, their victims will burn to death. Sofie and Sebastian try to find a way to overcome their curse but their new life at the school does not make it easy for them, especially as they have to contend with other more normal teen emotions. However, the siblings are not the only ones with secrets – a mystery that dates back to the year 1666 emerges”.
- via Arrow Video
Review:
On paper, it was supposed to be just an opportunity to try teen fiction to capture the “Twilight” market, but as is often the way with the dark sensibilities of the Nordic fiction makers, “Heartless” ended up as being far more, also capturing an audience that may have hated the twee world of shimmering vampires but warmed to the story of energy sucking beautiful people that find themselves both hunter and hunted in a boarding school with dark secrets all of its own.
“Heartless” has the cool leads of a cursed brother and sister looking for the truth of their past at a school full of bullying, status, witches, lesbianism, repression, and a hierarchy doomed to destruction. There’s something about the Nordic countries that creates fascinating stories absent of light. “Heartless” is the very same. Playing nicely with themes of forbidden love throughout the ages, and the past damning the present, the series (technically two series, though only eight episodes) is full of surprises and immensely engaging, with excellent performances throughout from all the cast.
“Heartless” combines the best of teen fiction with the need to operate at a level beyond the adolescent and pulls it off. There are deeply unpleasant characters that are, themselves, victim of the requirements of family and status, whilst there are those subject to curses and fighting to free themselves. Nordic drama has been an increasing hit in recent years with crime dramas, but this venture into supernatural territory hopefully isn’t the last.
Dark, immensely watchable, well played, and atmospheric, “Heartless” is a pleasant surprise indeed. Production values are strong, and leads Sebastian Jessen and Julie Zangenberg may have got most of the publicity for strong performances, but this is an ensemble cast in every way that deserves credit. Short-lived the series may have been, “Heartless” is cold, dark and magical. Unlikely though it is that English language stations will push the limits as much as this, at least we’re seeing in television an ability not to patronise the viewer in a way that cinema continues to do. There are opportunities to be had on the small screen that are being seized with relish. One can only hope that the newfound Golden Age of Television continues. The signs are all positive.
Excellent.
