Department Q goes on the hunt for a serial killer when a message written in blood by two children is found 14 years after they were kidnapped, only to discover a man who has left a long trail of kidnappings and murders in his wake.
Although each of the first three films tells a full, discrete story, they work best cumulatively, as the ongoing adventures of one cranky, conscientious cop.
Set in Scandinavia and featuring a sullen male protagonist, it's violent, hard-boiled, and psychologically disturbing. Its antihero, a clench-jawed police detective, also embodies a belief that individual goodness might be enough to prevail.
