The Investigation

SERIES REVIEW

In August 2017, 30-year-old Swedish journalist Kim Wall went missing in Denmark.  For those who don’t know or remember that case, it led to a media circus fuelled by the sensational elements of the investigation such as the mystery of a sunken submarine, a high-profile arrest, and the discovery of a dismembered body.  What didn’t get enough attention was the meticulous, painstaking work of the Danish police to uncover the truth.  The Investigation is a 5.5-hour mini-series that presents their efforts in great detail.  It is an unflashy but gripping police procedural with solid performances, that stands out on a number of counts.

For one, it is an elaborate and obsessively authentic portrayal of what the police teams did and accomplished- especially the investigation team and the divers.  In that respect, it tops any documentary on the case so far.  Secondly, it gives a palpable sense of how tough and exacting their tasks were.  On one hand, there were the circumstances, and the forces of nature to deal with.  On the other, there were the rigorous standards of Denmark’s legal system.  It paints a vivid picture of the toll that all of this took on those involved, and on Wall’s family, and pays tribute to their perseverance.  Then there is the way that the narrative has been shaped.  One reviewer described it as “something of a benchmark for how true-life crime adaptations should be” while another reviewer called it “the next evolution of true crime”.  To quote the director, though, it is not a ‘true crime’ drama- rather, it is a ‘true investigation’ drama. 

Here’s a link to the trailer.