The River (2017) User Reviews

Enjoyable Norwegian Cold War drama

[peterrichboy · 6/10 · 17 January 2019]

What makes a good crime drama? For me you need a believable storyline, sub plots that are relevant to the main story and characters you can relate to. Unfortunately with Elven it comes up short with all three of these. Which is a shame because in other aspects it has plenty going for it. The story is original the direction and photography are solid and most of all the Norwegian scenery is stunning. The cast do there best with a sub standard script, but it's the gaping holes in the storyline that really let this show down. It's by no means the worst crime drama to come from that part of the world and is still worth a watch. 6/10

Interesting

[kendiaman · 6/10 · 7 July 2018]

I can't understand louise_mari anger about this miniseries. Never before have seen anything about the northern lands of Norway. Also is not Bron/Broen, or Wallemberg, Millenium, etc. So sailor99, aka George from Denmark, a 10/10 is way out of the mark. Better direction and some trimming of dialogues would help, but over all, good watch for a winter night.

Somebody didn't pay the scriptwriters much

[stevelomas-69401 · 6/10 · 18 January 2019]

Grim and depressing Norwegian crime drama with majestic landscapes but very little talking or acting.

Overlong

[paddyparry · 6/10 · 16 April 2020]

This series would have benefited from being shorter, an injection of pace and some serious cliffhangers. Instead, like a river, it meanders along with some slow twists and turns and eventually arrives at its destination. This could have been so much better but you soon guess who the culprit is but some plot points never truly develop and are only tied up in a rush at the end.

Almost good.

[rosshill-61788 · 6/10 · 25 June 2021]

Well acted and with fabulous scenery, this series was spoiled by a plot that unravelled and other inconsistencies that began to mount up. The dialogue was also rather bland. I didn't bother with the final episode.

Not good

[eshmana · 3/10 · 25 January 2019]

I don't feel quite as strongly as louise_mari about this, but I understand the sentiment, as I was annoyed that I watched it all, too. It IS an incoherent mess with unnecessary sub-plots, poor script/plot, bad acting, and lousy direction. The sountrack and camerawork is laboured, and even the scenery isn't as good as you want it to be. It could have finished at episode six or seven and still made as much sense as it did by the end of episode eight. Don't waste your time.

Explanation of the Series

[itriatay995 · 6/10 · 9 February 2024]

I have read so many comments about this TV show on imdb and other websites but there are no clear explanations for this tv serie. The main villian in this TV serie is Thomas' (the cop) father who was a double agent working for KGB during the Cold War. In order to prove that he was loyal to KGB, he sacrificied his wife together with 18 people in a plane crash. Hence, it was not a regular accident it was a direct attack on a Norwegian civilian plane by the KGB. The main reason why he sacrificied his wife is actually related to her romantic affair with his brother who is the uncle of Thomas. The uncle lived with the guilt for many years and thats why he hung himself. He provided Thomas the DNA results of the body parts (which included his mothers DNA) in order to enlighthen him regarding the tragic past. Mia Holt is actually an intelligence officer that has been working secretly in the army and she had a task to find Thomas' father and that was the main reason why she was so helpful to Thomas that she could even risk her career and even life. Norwegian intelligence was after Thomas' father for almost 40 years and they were also after the sleeping cells that were located in Norway. For that reason, they went after the Barmen and the old sick guy as well. Consequently, the serie is a good serie but the plot holes and the unnecessary conversations in the serie made it difficult comprehend.

A jumbled, incoherent mess

[MadamWarden · 3/10 · 2 August 2018]

I really wanted to enjoy this, being a fan of the genre, but no. This is my first review, sadly inspired by how bad this was. There are so many plot holes, unnecessary and irrelevant sub-plots, illogical scenes and generally unrealistic characters that struggled to continue watching even in the final episodes.

Coupled with shaky handheld closeups and terrible acting, you would have expected me rate this a 1, but the gorgeous scenery and my increasing amusement at the ridiculous plot and direction kept me going. And hence my 3 rating.

Some things you just can't get past...

[staffylad · 4/10 · 24 December 2020]

Sometimes there's minor things in TV shows you can ignore. But I'm on Ep 4 of this pretty poor drama and can't forget one of the most hopeless scenes I've ever seen on TV from episode 1. One of the key pieces of the plot is the girl that goes missing... she went missing from the same room that her mother and grandmother was in. . they heard the door go, looked in the room then gave up and called the police. It's almost comical. If they looked out the window they'd see her. The lead cop actor is OK but the rest are terrible. Especially the Army woman that has achieved a high rank without even being able to lift a rifle properly. Also the child's mother.. she comes home from prostituting herself, is abusive to her Mother.. then loses the child without looking for her properly.. then suggests it's all everyone else's fault. Who writes this stuff

Fantastic series

[sailor99 · 10/10 · 22 May 2017]

I wonder if Louie and I have seen the same "Elven"!

The series I have seen is realistic and thrilling from the part 1 to part 8, and you learn a lot about the history of the Cold War. The Norwegians have again shown, that they make series worth watching. Recently I saw "Nobel" and now "Elven". I say:"Don't miss it!" George, Denmark

Lovely scenery, lousy plot

[lynchiefromsc · 1/10 · 17 January 2019]

What starts off as a decent crime mystery gradually disintegrates into a conspiracy thriller with a plot so full of holes you could use it as a colander. One character just sits in a room answering the phone and telling someone that they've either messed up or they need to deal with something. As we move towards the end, there's a lot of pop psychology and religious jibber jabber thrown in to make the characters seem deep. Basically they're all stereotypes who only narrowly avoid this show turning into a comedy farce. And the final sting in the tail is just pointless. (I should add that I'd figured out what the ending would be by episode 4, but silly me had to see it through to the bitter end.) What you will get from "The River" is ideas for what to wear if you ever go hiking on the Norway/Finland border. This is the last time I'll watch a "Walter Presents" show. These days it's just a dumping ground for poor Euro TV series.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME

[sisicosta · 1/10 · 25 January 2020]

Too much drugs on the system makes bad directors, bad plots.....is a nonsense story. My dog could do better.No answers for butchered bodies. No answers for girl's death. No answer: why I watched it?

Love nordic noir, so disappointed In this tale.

[terrybenn-63808 · 4/10 · 8 September 2020]

The very last scene of the series was ridiculous have no idea who the main villian was: the man who hung himself? , the man who shot himself? Perhaps it was the vicar lol! The story got lost from the first episode. I struggled with it the whole way through, thinking all would be revealed in the end, but no! and I'm so disappointed. 4 stars for the dark nordic noir, zero for this ramshackle tale.

A muddled plot and a lot of needless moralising. .

[davalew · 1/10 · 9 September 2020]

For what plot there was the entire thing could have played for just 3 of the 8 dreary episodes I forced myself to watch in the forlorn hope that it might improve. It didn't and I may never watch another Norwegian production if this what these guys think drama is. No wonder the leading man didn't want his picture shown on this website.

Quiet Brilliance

[agbertgra · 8/10 · 19 May 2021]

Few words, action, sometimes slow, like the broad open landscape, anything is possible. Following the few characters we enter a world after the Cold War, in our time, with history of countries suffered from it. Still suffering from corruption and duplicity, boarder people trying to get truth from civil and military authorities.

bad.

[louise_mari · 1/10 · 5 May 2017]

Hello.

I can't believe i watched this from start to finish. It was probably the single worst decition of my life. After getting my hair bleached. The plot is incoherent, i didn't understand anything. and i usually understand a lot. The actors are bad. The series is bad. And i feel bad for anyone getting paid in this production. No one decerved it. And i hate you.

Any why, i strongly recommend you to watch the series, just so you can agree with me.

love, louie ;*

Great action drama mystery story

[fereg-27985 · 10/10 · 8 September 2017]

I watch all the series in one long night view , great story about a plane crush at the Finland border with Russia , why was keep secret by Finland army but once the ice start gone parts of bodies starts appearing in the local river , a lonely playing girl at riverside find one cut human hand her grandmother call the local police ...and from there i cant stop watching not just great action suspense mystery spy story but all this mixed with the gorgeous local winter landscape , places and through this brings vision in that isolated lifestyle made this 8 parts TV show for me give for this great work maximum rating . Thank you

Outstanding viewing

[richardpowell-63102 · 10/10 · 11 October 2020]

Cracking plot. Great suspense. Good acting and breathtaking locations. Highly recommended late-night viewing with the lights off. 👍😀