Alex

I am a devoted fan of Scandinavian crime fiction and I try to stay in touch with the latest novels, movies and television series of the genre, something rather hard as the productions are numerous, some of them mediocre and some great. ''Alex'' definitely belongs to the second category and I think that, along with ''Innan Vi Dor'' (2017), is the best that the Nordic Noir genre has to offer in the last two years. The story is set in Gothenburg and revolves around Alex Leko, a hard-boiled, corrupt cop who finds himself in an ugly mess after he accidentally shoots his colleague and close friend, Martin. Alex's situation soon becomes even worse when he clashes with a prime thug nicknamed BG and his son is kidnapped. The protagonist will have to take the matter in his own hands and find his son in a race against odds and time. The plot moves forward at a frenetic pace and the tension rises in each episode leading to the climax of the last two episodes. The twists are plausible and satisfying, especially the big one in the ending of episode 5, while the charged relationships between the main characters provide many great dialogue scenes. Special mention should go to the two directors of the series, Manuel Concha and Alain Darborg who certainly know how to use the camera in order to successfully depict the protagonist's anguish, anger and despair which will result in extreme acts of brutality on his part. The action and fighting sequences are exemplary, as the viewer can literally feel the tension of the situation. Dragomir Mrcic is a Yugoslavian ex-con, who did 3 and a half years in prison for his involvement in a bank robbery. He became famous for his portrayal of Mrado on Daniel Espinosa's ''Snabba Cash'', a film based on the titular novel by Jens Lapidus. The roles of Mrado and Alex are quite similar and Mrsic nails the role, being constantly enraged and on the edge, using his fists and martial arts knowledge in his interactions with the others. The rest of the cast is also good, with Anja Lundqvist being compelling in her role as Kim, Alex's spouse. Malin Arvidsson, known for her role as Kerstin Holm in the ''Arne Dahl'' series, also has a small part as Martin's wife, Sheila. Overall, I was more than satisfied by ''Alex'' and I recommend it without any reservation to all crime fiction fans.

Season 1, like a stick of rock, has the words 'Swedish police drama' stamped right through it. In that sense, there is a distinct lack of originality, but in other ways, this tense thriller motors along in a lively fashion, dishing up the occasional plot twist along the way. Whilst it is suspenseful enough to keep your attention, you may hesitate to watch season 2, in case it's just more of the same. Well ... my advice is to welcome season 2 with open arms. Alex has been incarcerated for his illegal activities in the first season, but is allowed out on parole. Meanwhile, his wife and child have stumbled into a world of trouble, putting pressure on him to abscond. He must choose between the law and the lawless as he tries to carve out a viable future for his family. This time the story feels just as menacing, yet more organic, and the decisions that the characters make are quite shocking, haphazard, and stuttering. Truer to life. The action starts slowly, but ramps up in a captivating manner. It seems like the producers and writers stepped up their game considerably. My scores so far would be 7.3 and 8.2.

This is like the wire like snabba cash, real scandinavian gang crime story!

Alex

When you think of Swedish crime drama you first will think of wallander and beck. Those are the old. Alex is the new!

Alex feels fresh and genuine. In the leading male we see Dragomir Mrsic (snabba cash) and leading female Malin Arvidsson (Arne Dahl, Vitt skräp).

The story is focused around Alex a dirty cop. He gets more and more dragged in to where he should not be.

This is an intense series. Smart directed and fast paced.

I would recommend everyone to at least give it a shoot. If you want to see Wallander this is not for you. If you want to see Wallander x 10 this is for you!

Last decade or so has seen so many good Scandinavian crime series that been-there-seen-that feeling is easy to arise, particularly in a relatively small country like Sweden where the number of film actors is not too big. Moreover, it is hard to believe that Swedish police force have to deal with so severe issues as depicted, and many scenes and solutions tend to imitate UK and US related series...

Dragomir Mrsic as Alex Leko is convincing though, but his co-performers are not too memorable, and the whole series lags behind such recent Swedish series as Innan vi dör or Springfloden, for example. On the other hand, if you like Snabba cash or Pusher type of works, then Alex is a logical follow-up.