Huset

There have been so many prison dramas over the years, but creative writers and producers continue to breathe life into the subgenre. 'Wentworth' brilliantly remade Australia's true original 'Prisoner Cell Block H', while Jenji Kohan's 'Orange Is The New Black' used storytelling to explore the lives of the women in Litchfield's Penitentiary. Then there was Spain's prison thriller 'Vis A Vis', unsparing in its brutality and gory details, and more recently Jimmy McGovern's excellent 'Time' mini series for the BBC which focuses on how lives of prison officers and their charges overlap. So many prison dramas!

Kim Fupz Aakeson's Danish DR 'Huset' ('Prisoner' although it translates as 'The House') really ratchets the tension up over its 6 episodes. Dark and claustrophobic, The lives of 4 prison officers are profiled and in the background the prison is under threat of closure as authorities struggle to deal with a whole range of 'internal' issues. Fine performances are supported with 'ground level' production values. You often feel you're right there, a real credit to the directors! Officers Henrik (played by David Dencik), rookie Sammi (Youssef Wayne Hvidtfeldt) and Prison Warden Gert (Charlotte Fich) all make 'Huset' highly exciting, but the Danes also wheel on their secret weapon Sofie Gråbøl who many will know as Detective Sarah Lund in earlier series 'Forbrydelsen' ('The Killing'). Gråbøl is electrifying as the decent guard Miriam having to make tough decisions because of people getting to her 'on the outside'. Without giving anything away, the similarity with Stephen Graham's Eric McNally in 'Time' wasn't lost on me.

'Huset' clearly raises issues related to prison life, but at heart it's a classic 'noir' crime drama but set within the confines of a prison. And its protagonists all learn to their cost it's impossible to leave your problems at the prison gates. At times it's depressingly violent, understandably perhaps, and maybe plays too much on the stereotypes of corruption etc. Prison life is a messy business that's for sure! Who's to say it's not true to life? You probably learn more about the Danes and Denmark from events taking place outside (the way Gert deals with her husband's failing health tells you a lot about the humane side of Danish culture, for example), but the pressure these individuals are under is pretty universal. And in that, this prison drama never grows boring. I think overall I preferred McGovern's 'Time', particularly in the way it shows how individuals' lives become compromised in their actions and situation, but 'Huset' follows similar themes and is definitely worth a look. You can see it on BBC iPlayer until February 2025. Highly recommended.