User reviews

This is an excellent entry into the group of Nordic Noir thrillers, which have been a mixed bunch lately, to say the least. It also shows how a seemingly tired plot device can be made to look fresh and exciting when the production is put together by the right team. This is the case here. The choice of the locale is near faultless, the direction is crisp and editing is so sharp it appears as if the story would lose its flow if another frame were cut out. It wouldn't, but that is how it looks like.

What makes it really work, however, the complexity of characters and the competence of actors who embody them. Looked at closely there are no goodies and baddies, just human beings shaped by their circumstances and landed on the opposite ends of the law. Each main character surprises you with their capacity to act against your expectations and make it believable. Marie Richardson as the conflicted mother and the heroic but flawed detective and Adam Paisson as her capable, self-possessed, hard-headed son are superb and lead a cast of excellent actors. There are no small parts here and the actors seldom take a wrong step. In the case of Peshang Rad as Stefan, it is amazing to see what an actor can do with the little background given to his character. It is perhaps unfair to pick actors from what is an excellent ensemble.

Another aspect that impressed me is that the violence is never gratuitous and mostly implied, leaving one wonder how the suspense is sustained for ten episodes. If I outlined the script it would seem like a collection of police thriller clichés yet the series looks and feels original thanks to the professionals who put it together.

Highly recommended.

"Before We Die" ("Innan vi Dör") is a Swedish crime drama series, one of the best made, in a long time. There's not much to complain about, and even though the series is in 10 episodes within the same story-line, it manages to keep the quality, as well as the pace.

In a script that is both clever and very well written, the actors manage to be as credible as the story is. This is a raw, relentlessly drama that starts with the police Hanna Svensson, played by Marie Richardson – who isn't as boxy as Saga Norén in "Bron" ("The Bridge") – but you cannot exactly accuse her for being socially elegant. Instead, she's pushy and zealous, but with a large sense of justice. Even up to the point when she puts her own son - Christian - behind bars for two years for drug trafficking.

Marie Richardson carries the series and she does it with a nervy presence that engages. Magnus Krepper is wonderfully sleazy as her police colleague. Adam Pålsson does a poignant interpretation as Hanna's son, who wants to make old injustices right again and Alexej Manvelov works perfectly as the villain. With some reservation of stereotyping the bad guys, but that is something you will soon overlook.

I really hope this series will be out there with English subtitles, because I heartily recommend it.

There was a flow to this show that is hard to replicate and the bad reviews from some users boggles my mind. I'm not a fan of reading subtitles, but after watching this show, I've changed my mind. It was gripping from the first episode and I couldn't figure out all the twists and turns, which kept me very engaged through each. I'm the type who can't watch a show unless I get drawn in through a great plot and excellent acting... this contained every bit of that and more. The filming was top notch, and each actor (besides maybe one or two) played their roles flawlessly. There were a couple questionable moments (no spoilers) that kept me from giving this a 10 star review, but by the end, they sort of made sense. There is nothing worse than watching a show with a terrible ending... but fortunately this ending was well worth the wait. I am hoping season two will be as well written as the first and in that, I hope this show gets more views. American thrillers have been far less interesting then in previous years, so I will be looking for more shows like this in the Nordic Noir genre, which is purely based off of this show. If half of them produce anything close to what I just watched, I will be a fan for life.

I love subtitled shows. I seem to get drawn into the story more. I've seen so many in the last few years and Innan vi dör is right up there with the best of them. The acting is top notch and characters are well developed. The storylines take many turns and it keeps things really interesting. I was thrilled to hear a second series is in the works and it can't come soon enough. 8/10

Slightly disturbed female cops are the thing in thrillers these days. This is a nice series with interesting plot lines and good acting. It kept me hooked all the way along the first season so naturally I decided to continue with the second. This was a disappointment. Very far fetched plot twists, dead that come back alive, just too much to be credible. So enjoy season 1 and leave it at that.

Clever characterisation, excellent acting, brilliant script with many twists and turns which drive the suspense. It is natural and easy to empathise with the complex characters and painful dilemmas of Hanna and Christian/Inez, and the Mimicas are chillingly brutal, particularly Davor and his mother. Could so easily relate to these characters so much more than The Bridge. Confirms to be that the scandis are best at crime genre.

Loved this show, gritty, raw, thriller, drama , great acting . hate to see the popularity dropping probably because people cant wait for the next season , I am American with European heritage this doesn't really matter because I cant speak all these international languages , I literally can only get into very little American film / television. if any . i think its sad , I have no problem watching with subtitles I think it is close minded to limit yourself based on this you don't know what your missing.. I only keep Netflix for there international shows and wish we could get these channels over in the states that all these shows come on i would literally pay for them all. hopefully Netflix and entertainment companies read these reviews. they could make a lot of profit. this show was another example of how far ahead of us Scandinavian and Europe are . camera shot are amazing , especially the drone work you see, beautiful scenery the quality of there cameras even seem better. they are better actors and make you believe whats going on in real. PLEASE KEEP MAKING THESE SHOWS!

Last decade or so has seen so many good Scandinavian "new-type" series where there is no 1 case per episode unlike Wallander, Beck, but catchy and intertwined characters and events, adding additional dimensions and thrill if capably compiled. The series in question has lots of tautness and uneasiness, and many twists that seem odd or over-sophisticated at first obtain satisfactory explnation and solution later on, some of them a lot later. Each episode has especially juicy finding/turn in the last scene, making you wait for the next one immediately. Well, I am not sure how these crimes, corruption and cop-scamp relations reflect the real situation in the Swedish society, but is is entertaining to follow and feel them.

As for the cast, the leading roles are given those widely seen in similar series, and they are all memorable here again, often without typical approach when more famous performers would be present to the very end, "they do not die in the middle". I would particularly highlight Adam Pålsson who won Kristallen 2017 for his role in the category of Male Actor of the Year in a TV production.

Thus, 8.5=9 points from me. I wonder if Season 2 is created as well - the very ending left many doors open...

PS Season 2 is a bit "thinner", but yet with interesting twists and turns, excelling performances... And Seasom 3 may follow.

The second one get way too far fetched. writing is less focus. Even if in first one some progressions felt unreal, it is much worse in second. it is also true that season 1 dosent hold under scrutiny with the many plot holes but really, not much do in TV and movies. we are here for cheap escapism . The main inspector , she is also a terrible hypocrite and absurd mother. ahhhh, melodrama.

Christian is rash rather than clever; he's foolhardy rather than brave; and he's lucky rather than strategic.

Christian seems to have no sense of or appreciation of the dangers lurking around him, waiting to pounce, because he knows the writers will save him.

He uses his second cell phone carelessly and he is easily distracted by Blanka, despite the dangers from her family and from her psychopathic boyfriend.

Was James Bond this stupid when he was coming up? No.

The writers have chosen to put Christian in precarious situations in order to ratchet up the tension and the suspense, with the trade-off being a complete disregard for the damage to viewers' opinion of Christian for getting himself into those situations in the first place.

When a character does something that is stupid and that puts himself into danger, it's absurd, even grotesque, suddenly and inexplicably, to give that character the wit and the presence of mind to extract himself from the danger. No real character switches from stupid to resourceful and then back again on cue.

The rules are: (1) make it plausible and (2) make it necessary.

One cannot suspend disbelief repeatedly because of the same implausible and unnecessary formula.

It is a series you keep watching. But it is full of plotholes.

Being a big fan of Nordic Noir the last year or so has seen a dip in the quality of crime dramas from Scandinavia. So I'm pleased to see Something of a return to form with "Before we die". We have a slight change in that the bad guys are a Croatian family under the guise of running a family restaurant also run a major violent drug cartel. A recruited informant is placed as a mole in the restaurant to gather information on the gang but once the moles police accomplice is killed no one from the gang or the police knows the identity of the mole except us the viewer. A good binge watch. 8/10

A series with very good acting, especially the Mimicas family, but tainted with lack of real aim and direction, convenient and "lucky" situations for the infiltrator, having near complete freedom of reporting without almost no suspicion and trailing, all for a surprising and half-weak ending twist!?

Nothing deep and impressive, but interesting to follow episode by episode, with nice filming and moody, thrillingly depressive score.

Yet to watch season 2, hopefully with believable plots and a solid closure.

Watching series 1 on PBS in Canada, with subtitles - yay! I cannot abide watching dubbed foreign shows. I am really enjoying it - great characters, storylines, acting, very much holding my interest. Good suspense and plotting pace.

As many mentioned, great characters, decent story line, quite gripping, so you are hooked quickly and are binging on it all night.... However, it is one of the most frustrating things I've been watching on years!

Overal plot is kinda ok (ok, with a number of odd twists here and there), but the details of VAST majority of scenes/scenarios are so holly, you could strain a spaghetti dish through it. Why did he/she did not see an obvious gun/danger/person; why noone recognised or followed the simplest thins that a child would immediatly spot? Etc, etc -I ended up getting so frustrated with it. So many unanswered questions like that it did quite ruin it, esp in the 2nd season.

Anyway, those who don't pay any attention to details - you'll enjoy it, 9/10 i thought, but if you are shouting at your TV when an idiotic stuff haopens literally every 2 minutes -it can get incredibly frustrating.

Just finished watching second series and I can see they've set themselves up for a third series. I won't spoil it my explaining who survives. Like most good drama they invest in characters then dispose of them whilst keeping enough to preserve loyalty of the audience. Still the high production values and morally ambivalent characters. Still fast moving with regular cliff hangers. Plot does continue t involve considerable suspension of belief and barely credible death count but it s forgivable as being an antidote to American Formula cop shows.

I enjoyed watching this. The basic plot has been seen before but there was a freshness and some originally to this series. The acting and overall production is good. The script is well paced and in the last episode we learn something that refers us back to opening episode. A satisfying finale.

I personally enjoyed every moment..every episode..at the end i was only asking myself.. Who could ever trust in anyway this Christian son?..he proposed the whole thing from the start only because on my opinion he needed his doses legally... What a twisted character!..!..!... And Hanna?....justice for her ?..for all her hard work..her worries..no sir..just an unworthy son to love for a lifetime... What a great woman though..and a great actress!...

This is one of those occasions. Season 2 is one large plot-hole. It has too many stupidities and too little really surprising twists. Disappointing sequal to a very exiting first season

Christian's ability to get out of trouble is Walter-White-esque from #BreakingBad. The twist and turns makes this must-see streaming. Davor and the Monkey must be respected! And the storyline never gets boring!

Solid actors, good casting, clean technical execution, nothing superfluous.

Nice to see mother son struggle in this high tension backdrop for a change.

But the plot contrivance level is heavy-handed, and it gets more and more outrageous as the story world widens into international waters.

The producers also presented the female lead as the story driver, but then they also dumbed her logical faculty down to the point of absurd idiocy in order to force plot-jumps.

This show has plenty of that American style drama annoyance: supposedly smart characters don't probe each for elaboration after someone dropped a giant plot bomb, "Oh so that's what happened, I'll see you later."

The second season finale surprise was so contrived it was like the faceless enemies are mind-control demigods.

But given the high production value and resources, I expect it to be on par or better than The Bridge/ Broen. Still, the solid cast managed to hold it together and delivered a watchable show.